


I'm Not Angry Anymore

by team_avatars_eyebags



Series: I'm Not Angry Anymore [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Badass Zuko (Avatar), Baker Zuko, Blue Spirit Zuko (Avatar), F/F, F/M, Firebending & Firebenders, Gen, M/M, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Tea Server Zuko (Avatar), Zhao (Avatar) Is An Asshole, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko's Scar (Avatar), eventual zukka
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 58,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26633779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/team_avatars_eyebags/pseuds/team_avatars_eyebags
Summary: A few changes help Zuko have an identity crisis (also known as a redemption arc) sooner than planned."𝘍𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘡𝘶𝘬𝘰’𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘈𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘒𝘺𝘰𝘴𝘩𝘪 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘜𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.𝘡𝘶𝘬𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦."Or, the one where a master firebender and his master fire-bending Uncle reside peacefully on the remote island of Kyoshi. And the Avatar needs to learn fire bending. And awaken a certain someone's older brother instincts. Add a little gay tension to the mix and you're ready for a real crisis of identity.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar), Suki (Avatar)/Original Character(s), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: I'm Not Angry Anymore [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177001
Comments: 232
Kudos: 1387
Collections: The Best of Zuko





	1. The Constant Identity Crisis of Being a Chill Dude

**Author's Note:**

> kovah is lowkey me. im a lesbian and when I say I want to date suki, I mean it. So I made an OC just for that lmaoooo
> 
> also I have no motivation for anything ever, not sure if I'll finish but I have the full idea yknow
> 
> warning for Paramore as a lifestyle

Getting your ass handed to you by a pretty girl was a pretty great way to learn that _girls can be strong._ Many of them are pretty strong, actually. Sokka has the bruises to prove it.

So, what to do with sore muscles and a lot of thoughts to work out? Go get a drink. 

Sokka had asked Suki what was the best place to get a refreshing drink on Kyoshi Island and Suki told him about the little shop near the coast that was only a couple of years old, a quaint little tea place where one of Suki’s best friends worked. 

If this person was Suki’s best friend Sokka had to see them. He was curious by nature. 

Also, Suki told him that this person had helped set her up with her girlfriend, Kovah, another bad-ass Kyoshi warrior that Suki had been repressing her feelings for until he came to help her out. 

Sokka was willing to try this magical girlfriend winning person. Plus, some chilled tea sounded amazing.

The shop had a nice view of the coast of Kyoshi Island, and a small outdoor sign that read; The Jasmine Tea House. Quaint. 

Sokka walked into this cute little wood tea shop and was greeted by a slew of tables occupied by several customers, and the ringing of a small bell that was tied onto the door. 

Sokka, entranced by the graceful looking scrolls and paintings that decorated the walls, walked up to the counter to meet the boy who sat behind it, his shaggy dark hair covering the lot of his face. 

His head snapped up when Sokka got close enough, revealing one insanely bright golden-brown eye. The other one wasn’t so bright. 

Sokka may have been a sexist jerk two days ago but he wasn’t insensitive. He knew how to not stare. 

Even if it was proving difficult. 

“Welcome to the Jasmine Tea House, what can I get you today?” The boy rasped, not giving Sokka a creepy customer service smile, but just raising his eyebrows enough to not look as intimidating as he looked mere seconds ago. 

“... Well… I’m not sure, actually. My friend, Suki, said this place was good though,” Sokka replied. He kind of wanted to hear the boy talk more, he had a certain lisp to his scratchy voice that made it satisfying to listen to. 

The boy’s eyes lit up. “You know Suki?” 

“Yeah!” Sokka replied, “She said her friend Lee worked here? I thought I’d check it out, I’m parched.” 

The side of the boy’s mouth quirked. He gestured to a small slate pinned to his apron, titled “Lee”, drawn on with little chalk flowers and a cutesy font. Ah. It gave Sokka strong Kovah vibes. 

“Tell Suki I said hi, and thanks for giving us a recommendation. So, you’re new huh?” 

“Uh… yeah! How’d you know?” 

The boy, Lee, tilted his head. “Everyone passes by the Jasmine Tea House at some point. The villagers on this Island seem to enjoy our tea. Plus Suki has a knack for attacking and befriending visitors. Anyway… here’s our menu, if you like sweeter teas I suggest Sweet Hibiscus or Honey Green. If you’re more of a bitter person go with Black or Earl Grey. And I’m going to go out on a limb and say you want iced.”

Sokka chuckled as he looked over the menu. “I may be a bitter guy but I think I’ll go with Honey Green. Definitely iced, those girls worked me to the core. And uh, I see you have a sweets menu?” 

Lee nodded his head. “We’ve got a smaller assortment today, but if you’d like I can sample you a dragon fruit tart or the sweet bean curd puffs. Our most popular item, Wagashi pastries, are all out at the moment, sorry about that.” 

Sokka almost winced at how apologetic the guy sounded over some pastries. “It’s no issue dude. But I’m totally gonna try that dragon fruit tart… although I will not lie, I’m not even sure what dragon fruit is.” 

“You must really be from out of town.” 

“You have no idea.”

Lee scoffed. “Okay, well, I’ll be back with your stuff. Feel free to lounge around…?” 

“It’s Sokka.” 

“Sokka. Okay. Be right back.” 

The idle chatter of the shop seeped back into Sokka’s ears as Lee (quite awkwardly) shuffled deeper into the back of the shop. Sokka leaned up against the smooth wood of the wall next to the counter to wait for his drink. Lee seemed nice, if not extremely awkward and aloof. The way he held himself didn’t give Sokka much hope for the guy’s confidence, but it did give him a mysterious air that made Sokka want to know more. Had he also been attacked by Suki when he first got to Kyoshi? Did he know the Avatar was in town? Did he know _Sokka_ had come to the island _with the Avatar?_ How did he become friends with Suki? How did this guy set up Suki with a wonderful girlfriend?! He must be one of those secret playboys or something. Lee certainly wasn’t ugly, he had a strong jawline and jet black hair, bright eyes, and a nice voice. You’d think he’d have all the ladies tripping right over their feet to snatch him up, but then again Sokka had only known him for a total of ten minutes. 

Sokka also wasn’t blind. That scar didn’t really take away from the guy’s features but… it did cover a lot. The eye that it covered seemed to be muted in color and almost closed shut. The angry red of the scar went down to his neck, the smaller splotches disappearing into his green serving robes, and climbed up and behind his shaggy bangs. His ear was also shrunken and disfigured. 

Lee made it work though. 

Sokka wasn’t dumb. Well, sometimes he was when he wanted to. But Lee was definitely the victim of a burn. It was a bad one too. It almost scared Sokka, seeing this on an indifferent citizen like Lee, because the first thing his mind went to when he saw the burn was the _Fire Nation_. His dad had gone to war, and Sokka was terrified. Terrified that if he’d ever see his dad again he’d be hurt, or worse. If the Fire Nation could reach and injure Lee, an innocent guy living peacefully on Kyoshi Island, then what happened to soldiers? What could happen to all those men the Water Tribe had sent off the war? 

Then again, this was all in Sokka’s head. Lee worked in a _tea shop._ Maybe he got the burn from an embarrassing slip up, or maybe he had gotten it from a stove when he was younger, maybe he couldn’t even remember the injury. Sokka was, once again, overthinking things. He shook his head as if to shake out all the overwhelming thoughts that came with _Lee._

Sokka resumed his blank stare into the rest of the shop when a particular wall decoration, mounted on the wall behind the counter, caught his eyes. Sokka didn’t know a lot about weapons that weren’t native to the Southern Water tribe, but anyone could tell there were some nice looking broadswords under the dark green mounts. He didn’t have time to ponder whether they were just decorative or not because Lee’s sharp rasp cut through his thoughts. 

“Uncle, please—“

“Lee, it is important for the owner of the shop to greet new customers— and look, you must be Sokka, yes?” 

An old man with a long gray beard and a stubby stature walked up to Sokka with a smile that could be described as nothing less than _jolly._ The old man bowed gracefully. 

“Welcome to the Jasmine Tea House! I see you’ve already met my nephew, Lee. I hope he wasn’t too grumpy today,” the old man said, chuckling. Sokka saw Lee aggressively roll his eyes through his peripheral vision. 

“Ah, and where are my manners?” The man barked, “My name is Mushi! But you may call me Uncle, everyone does! I own the shop.”

Mushi’s smile had to be the most infectious thing on the planet, next to the common flu. 

“Nice to meet you!” Sokka exclaimed, grinning and bowing right back. 

Lee coughed off to the side. “Well, here’s your order. Have a nice day,” He said, extending a small bag and a portable wooden cup towards Sokka.

“Wha— but I didn’t even pay!” 

Lee tilted his head again. The action reminded Sokka of an otter-cat. 

“You’re a friend of Suki’s, and you’re new in town. It’s the least I could do to lighten whatever harsh training she’s probably put you through.”

Sokka opened his mouth to protest but sobered when Lee’s expression turned into a silent challenge. He took his things.

“... Thank you.”

Lee nodded once and went into the back of the shop, to where Sokka assumed was the kitchen. 

Sokka slipped the tart he ordered out of its paper bag and took a small bite. Then another. 

“Tui and La, who made this?! It’s like my mouth is blessed!” 

Mushi, who still stood idly by his side, laughed. “My nephew is a great baker, isn’t he?” 

“Lee made this? No wonder he’s got the Kyoshi warrior's support!” 

“Yes, those young girls adore him. Don’t tell him I told you that, his face may turn a shade of red the sun itself could be jealous of.”

Sokka grinned at the mental image of a blushing Lee, then realized the sun was dipping below the horizon and startled himself. 

“Thank you so much for the food and drink, but I’ve got to get back to my friends! It was nice to meet you— and Lee!” Sokka said, starting to head for the door. 

“It was nice to meet you too, young Sokka. Come back whenever you’d like!” Mushi called after him, “Enjoy your tea!” 

“I will!” Sokka shouted, already out the door and onto the paved street. 

Sokka was already halfway to where his friends were staying when he realized Lee had served him a whole tart instead of just a sample. 

Not that he was complaining or anything. 

* * *

Flipping the closing sign on the door of the tea shop was by far the best part of Zuko’s day. As happy as he could be with his life as a tea server Zuko never shook his anti-social mess of a personality. He needed time to recharge, especially when his job was _talking_ to people and _smiling_ at them. 

Not that he didn’t like the people on Kyoshi Island. It was so strange, knowing almost everyone on the small island he now called home. Not to mention Uncle was adamant the people here liked him back. 

Zuko couldn’t accept that. Not when they didn’t even know his real name. 

It was a new feeling that festered over the past two years. Guilt. It wasn’t a feeling he’d have so often before, but now it covered his skin in hives that itched for release. 

It wasn’t like he felt lonely. He had Uncle Iroh. He had Suki, Kovah, Haro, Beyin, Gogo, and the rest of the Kyoshi warriors. If Zuko were to say he had friends he would say they were more than friends. The warriors were almost like sisters to him (if he assumed what normal sisters acted like correctly). He trained with them all the time, and the girls had been ecstatic when they learned he knew his twin daos like the back of his hand. Spirits, he even was going to their dojo tomorrow for his off day.

They wouldn’t be so ecstatic if they knew he was a fire-bending traitor prince to a nation that had plagued the planet with war for the past one-hundred years. That’s where the overwhelming guilt came from. He’d built their trust, he’s bonded with all of them. Agni, once Zuko even let Suki touch his face to apply the traditional Kyoshi makeup for a spar. But he still lied about his identity constantly. Uncle was the only person keeping him from forgetting his own birth name. 

A year ago, he’d insisted to Uncle that he’d go insane like this. He hadn’t yet, but it was a damn near thing. 

He’d been angry before. By the light of the sun, he’d felt anger on a level no human should ever feel. It fueled him, kept him going. But then the dust settled. 

One day Zuko had yelled at Uncle. He always yelled at Uncle back then, but this time it was different. Uncle didn’t say anything to rationalize his anger, to calm him. The old man hadn’t even offered tea. Zuko had yelled and yelled until his voice was almost unusable. Uncle didn’t get angry, and it frustrated him to no end. It had been two months since they bought the building that would become what the Jasmine tea house was today. And Zuko was tired. He was so tired and he didn’t know _why_. He had stopped his mission to capture the Avatar. He’d cried night upon night knowing the horrors and atrocities his nation had committed. He’d accepted the scar that took away half of his face, and he’d accepted the life he would have to live to stay away from the war. But he was still angry, and tired. And Uncle realized it. He realized he was still running on anger, but the anger was running out, being replaced by fatigue that would smother his inner fire. 

So Uncle had taken him to the dragons. And Zuko found a new perspective on fire bending. Now, his fire was a soft mix of colors, fueled by his emotions. 

The sickly green that held control over his fire grew stronger over his time as Lee, signifying his guilt. He couldn’t help his nation. He’d never please his father, or help his sister. He could never tell his friends his real identity. The guilt that came with being _Lee_ poisoned him. 

It wasn’t all bad. Most days his fire looked completely gold, a color he’d come to associate with correctness and satisfaction. Lee could do things and be someone Zuko never got to do or be. Lee was friends with the most badass group of girl warriors in the world, Lee served tea to the elderly with a smile. Lee met new people without making them cower or fear him, and Lee got compliments on his baking. Lee was nice, awkward, and a non-bender with a mastery of swords. 

Zuko was a disgraced prince with the brand of a traitor and coward marked upon his face. Zuko traveled the world for a ghost, playing along to the funniest joke the Fire Lord had ever told. Zuko was a mediocre fire bending master, with nothing to show for his success. Zuko was the kind of person one would expect to burn down a village. 

After sweeping up the shop and wiping down the counters, Zuko ventured up the stairs that led up to his and Iroh’s apartment that resided above the shop. He stopped at the top of the stairs and sat, bringing his palm to eye level. Palm cupped, he willed a small bit of fire into his hand. 

Today it was gold, but the edges covered in a deep blue that didn’t change the temperature of the fire at all. Zuko tilted his head at it, confused. Blue usually meant he was scared, maybe even sad. (Though Uncle knew when Zuko was sad, there was no getting a spark out of him.) Then it hit Zuko. The color vividly reminded him of the new boy that came into the shop… what was his name…? Socks… Soaked… it was Sokka! Right. The boy that Uncle told him gushed over Zuko’s dragon fruit tart recipe. 

Yeah, the color reminded him of Sokka’s eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have daddy issues just like zuko so comment if you'd like to feed me the validation I so crave


	2. Did Sword-fighting a 14 Year-Old Just Out Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lee's a badass. Zuko's freaking the FUCK out. 
> 
> He's doing that constantly if we're being honest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everything is zuko's POV unless stated otherwise I only did the sokka vs. zuko POV last chapter bc I wanted to do a lil "how he's perceived vs. how he perceives himself" thing
> 
> also I ship sukka just as much as zukka but again I'm a fat gay so I made Kovah to kiss Suki... bc I would like to kiss Suki... plus zukka fun hehe
> 
> also yue/sokka will be in this if I EVER get to that point. pls don't expect much of me lmaooooo. hopefully ill get to write a bit more Katara too, I'm not ignoring her shes just not needed at the moment.

“Zuko?” 

“Yes, Uncle?” Zuko replied, voice clipped. He’d taken too much time eating breakfast, he was going to be late to the dojo. 

Uncle’s face looked tight like he expected something from Zuko. 

“Uncle, what is it?” 

“Well,” Uncle sighed, “I heard some… news today, while I was at the marketplace looking for more wooden cups…”

Zuko, fastening the last bit of his dark green belt, raised an eyebrow. 

“Bad news?” 

“No,” Uncle sighed, “Nothing too bad. But I must ask you not to freak out.” 

“... Why would I freak out?” 

Uncle’s sighs were starting to annoy Zuko. 

“That boy, Sokka, apparently came here with two other visitors… everyone on the Island is saying he’s… a friend of the Avatar’s.”

Zuko’s good eye widened and he tried to ignore the stretching he felt in his scarred eye. 

Silence traveled between him and his Uncle. 

“... Prince Zuko, are you alright?” 

Zuko huffed, grabbing his sheaths more aggressively than he needed to.

“I told you not to call me Prince. And… this doesn’t change anything Uncle. I mean, I doubt I’ll even run into the… Avatar.” 

“But you won’t…?”

“There’s no point. I… he… I can’t go back.” 

“... Okay. Please be safe, nephew,” Uncle nodded, turning to put his work apron on. Zuko didn't move to leave.

“... I’m sorry, Uncle.” 

Zuko was facing away from Iroh, and he could feel his shoulders shaking. When no response came he spoke up again. 

“I know… you probably want to go home. You don’t have to watch over me forever… I’ve been… such a… such a burden to keep but… I can’t… I don’t… I can’t go back. I won’t… capture the Avatar. I’m… afraid, I guess, but—“

Zuko was jerked into turning around and felt himself being pulled into a hug. The warm type of hug that reminded him of sandy beaches across a faraway island he once called home, where the ocean smelled more like ashes than it ever did on Kyoshi. The comfort of being in his Uncle’s arms always made him think of the smell that wafted in the air after a particularly long steeping of jasmine tea. He went limp in his Uncle’s grasp, soaking it up like a starved otter-cat.

“Zuko, I don’t care how many times I must tell you this, I’ll say it until my last breath. You aren’t a burden on me. You will never be a burden on me, Zuko, you helped me more than you know. And you certainly do _not_ need to capture the Avatar for my, or anyone else’s approval.”

Uncle held him out by his shoulders at arm’s length. 

“Home is where you make it to be, nephew. It doesn’t have to be a place or a memory. Remember that,” He smiled, putting a hand on Zuko’s unscarred cheek and wiping away tears that Zuko hadn’t even noticed. Uncle gave him a small pat as if to awaken Zuko back to the fact he was still in the apartment. 

“You’re going to be late to meet the warriors,” He commented, the sentence disguised as a question of whether or not Zuko still wanted to see his friends today. 

“... I’d better get going then.” 

Zuko stopped slumping and stood at his full height. Sniffing and remaking his expression of vulnerability to something that could be interpreted as positive. 

“... Thank you Uncle. Have a good day at the shop?”

“I’m sure I will, nephew.” 

* * *

“Lee! You came!”

“Hello to you too, Kovah.” 

Kovah happily bounded up to Zuko, getting all up in his personal space. Not like he particularly minded, that was just how Kovah was. 

“Ready to show off to our new guests?!” Kovah exclaimed.

“We’re doing a demonstration today?” 

“Kind of. Suki said she wanted you to show Sokka your dao moves,” she explained, chopping her hands to mimic swords. 

“Sokka? You guys are still running that guy through the ground, huh?” 

“C’mon, you know the tradition from personal experience! Plus, he was kind of an asshole at first so…” She smirked cruelly, “We’re teaching him a few lessons.” 

“Sexist or just annoying?”

“Both, sometimes. But he’s getting better!” 

“Yes, he is,” Suki walked in, passing Kovah to give her a peck on the cheek. “I made sure to knock the misogyny out of him.” 

“Of course you did babe. You’re good at that…” 

“Alright, leave room for a spirit guys,” Haro interjected, jutting her hand between the two girls who looked like they were about to make out right there and then. 

Gogo popped her head in the door. “Katara and the others are here!” She announced. 

Beyin slid close to Zuko out of nowhere. “That water girl, Katara? I’m pretty sure Gogo has a crush on her.” 

“I haven’t met her yet,” He shrugged. 

“She’s a waterbender, apparently. I swear, the second Gogo sees a girl her age she’s gone like the wind.” 

Zuko snorted in agreement. 

“Too bad the Avatar has eyes for Katara already,” Beyin added. 

Zuko’s palms got sweaty at the mere mention of the Avatar. 

_Calm down. The Avatar isn’t a big deal. He’s probably not ruthless and all-powerful like the fire nation's tutors say._

The Avatar turned out to be just a small boy. Zuko saw him sit with who he assumed was the water tribe girl, Katara. Sokka came in and was immediately accosted by the girls, ushering him off to get into their traditional skirts and makeup. 

“So, you’re Lee, huh?” The Avatar questioned cheerfully, as the room was now empty of chatty girls. 

Zuko pulled out his swords and began to polish them with the tools that were hung across the walls. 

_Okay, Zuko. Remember, you are a non-bender with no reason to get involved with the avatar. Just act normal! He’s just a kid!_

_A kid whose nation was wiped out by Zuko’s people._

_Stop! No, he was Lee right now. Lee doesn’t have ‘people’._

_Agni, just answer his question idiot._

“Uh… uh-huh! Yep… that’s me. Lee here!” He replied, voice cracking dangerously because of the number of octaves it had jumped.

“Hi, Lee! I’m Aang, and this is my friend Katara!” 

_Ooh, the way he said her name… yeah Beyin was totally right._

_Oh my spirits, shut up Zuko._

Katara gave him a friendly wave. Zuko saw her also trying (and failing) to discreetly study his scar. 

“Hi,” He greeted Katara deadpan, fixing his voice so that it’d stop sounding like a _lying teenage boy—_

“Heya Lee!” 

Zuko snapped his head around to see Sokka. Completely dressed up head to toe with Kyoshi wear. Including makeup. 

And you know what? It didn’t look half bad. 

“Hi, Sokka. I’d thought I’d see you here.” 

“Hell yeah! I’m not gonna pass up the chance to learn how to beat up bad guys like a girl!” Sokka said, pumping his fist into the air. 

Wow, they made him go full-on feminist already. Impressive. 

“Nice job with that one, Suki.” 

Suki smiled. “I know.” 

Kovah jumped out of the gaggle of girls and slung her arm across Zuko’s shoulders. 

“Alright, y’all! Who wants to see Lee fuck it up with his swords!” 

“Kovah stop cursing, there are children here!” Haro complained, covering Gogo’s ears. Zuko saw Katara cover Aang’s ears from the corner of his good eye. 

“Aren’t we all children?” 

“I’m eighteen,” Beyin commented. 

“Whatever!” Kovah waved her hands to get everyone's attention. “Give some respect to my guy Lee!” 

“Kovah, please,” Zuko pleaded, face flushing a bit. 

“Just trying to hype you up, dude!” She said, lifting her hands in mock-surrender. 

“Babe, let Lee breathe,” Suki chastised fondly. “Who wants to spar with Lee first?” 

“Oh! Me!” Gogo volunteered. 

Beyin shook her head. Zuko gave her a look like; 

_She wants to impress Katara, right?_

Zuko wouldn’t be surprised. 

“Gogo…” Suki sighed. “No one except Beyin and I have beaten Lee… are you sure?” 

“I’ve never gotten a chance!” She argued. 

“Because you’re fourteen! You’re fairly new to the fans of Kyoshi,” Beyin reasoned. 

“Let her spar,” Lee shrugged. “She _can_ hold her own.” 

Zuko turned to face Gogo’s pleading eyes. 

“I won’t go easy on you.” 

“Neither will I!”

“I never said you would,” He smirked at her. 

“I can’t believe you’re encouraging this…” Haro said, shaking her head in disbelief. Her small smile told Zuko she was excited though. 

“Alright, fine,” Suki caved, “But we’re only aiming to disarm. Lee to the left, Gogo to the right.” 

Zuko nodded and weighed his swords in his hands, heading to his corner as everyone who wasn’t sparring went off the mats to watch. He pulled out a piece of twine and pulled his hair into a low ponytail to protect the longer strands from the possibility of being chopped. He’d learned his lesson before. 

“Sokka, I want you to pay attention to the way Lee fights,” Suki started to explain, “He’s from part of the Earth Kingdom that takes a ton of inspiration from the Fire Nation’s style of fighting. The way he moves is fast and quick, but sturdy.”

_By the spirits don’t mention the Fire Nation at all when I’m in the same room as the freaking Avatar. My heart may give out. Oh no, he’s totally going to figure out I’m Fire nation, the eyes, the fighting style, oh fuck—_

Gogo fiddled with her fans and Zuko watched her control her breathing. 

_Yes, control your breathing Zuko._

“Ready?” Haro asked, putting her hand out. Both Gogo and Zuko nodded. 

“Start!”

Zuko let Gogo make the first move, the girl starting to shuffle close while Zuko swung his swords in a motion that would warm up his wrists. 

Gogo set her right foot up. 

_She’s going left._

Gogo, who isn’t completely dumb, went to the left. Zuko jutted out the flat of his blade and pushed in a way that made Gogo go behind him. 

Look, you learn a few things when you have your sight and hearing on one side of your face taken away. At first, when he woke after the Agni Kai, Zuko thought he’d just have to train harder to cover his _huge_ blind spot. A pretty dumb thought, considering nothing can truly help the fact that a surprise attack from that side could totally take him down. Then Uncle took him to the dragons. Zuko noticed something about them. Dragons had two eyelids, one closing sideways, the other closing like a human eye. 

Fire benders are known for having an inner fire. It’s what fuels them. Zuko visualized that sideways eyelid, back when he was fourteen and learning so many secrets at once. He wanted to see his Uncle’s inner fire without seeing Uncle. It was a hard concept to grasp. He had to concentrate on the core of a person, where most of Uncle’s Fire would come from. Eventually, he saw orange behind his dark eyelids, not outlining but coming from _within_ Uncle. 

For a while, Zuko thought that would only work on firebenders. Then, Zuko remembered his first encounter with the Kyoshi warriors, how they questioned why the pair had come to Kyoshi (which Zuko had to bullshit his way through, but the past is forgettable), and how they all had _fire_ in their eyes. 

Then he thought, maybe not only firebenders have an inner fire.

It was smoother riding from there. Visualization turned into something Zuko could only describe as magic, honestly. 

With his eyes closed, he could see anyone behind him, around him, the warmest points of their bodies. He could see the sun extremely well because of its heat, and when the sun’s heat blanketed an area, he could practically see _everything_ from the surface level. At first, when he tried this technique on a large scale he had to heat up the air himself, and he could see the rocks, grass, and bugs around him with his _eyes closed_. So he started using it more frequently because back then he was jumpy. He was still jumpy now but that was more a fight or flight reaction.

He now controlled whether or not his scarred side was a liability or not. It gave him a great deal of relief. His hearing was still shit, but people could tell, so it usually wasn’t too much of an issue. They knew to talk on his other side, or whisper in his good ear. Sometimes he tried to remember what it was like not hearing everything half muted, but hey, the whole _seeing people’s body heat and the environment around him with the sun’s heat_ thing was already a bit of a miracle. He didn’t want to push his non-existing luck too far. 

So now Gogo was behind him. Zuko pinpointed her body heat. His sword easily blocked her fan attack, which was aimed at his head. His sword was now behind his head, almost flat on his skull. Zuko twisted his body so he was now facing Gogo, and he quickly bent his wrist so the blade stuck between the flat of the fan and her hand. Quickly he flung the fan out of her hand, and it skidded into the audience. A few cheers were (barely) heard but Zuko didn’t forget Gogo still had a katana and another fan. 

The young girl transformed her fan into a small shield, to which she scowled behind. She pulled out her own sword from her waist sheath, upon which she thrust at Zuko, but keeping the sword close to her chest. 

_Can’t pull away, she’s too sturdy…_

Zuko performed a risky pivot around the smaller girl and swiped one of his broad swords at her ankles, which she jumped over. She swatted her fan, back from being a shield, at Zuko’s head. He took the opportunity to stay low and roll, using and closing his feet to twist the fan from Gogo’s hand. She yelped, stumbling to regain footing as her fan went skidding to the other side of the mats. 

Zuko stood back at his full height, opening a stance now that the fight was sword against sword. He settled to hold them in a backward grip that would give him more moving room against a bulky katana. 

Gogo swung her sword downwards, an awkward attack for Zuko to counter. A parry and block later, Zuko had her right where he wanted. 

Using the curve of his swords, Zuko caught the blade in an “x” shape and used one of his swords to push the katana completely to the right. Using a proper amount of strength, he kicked his heel straight into the flat of Gogo’s blade, which due to the hold of the previous block, flew out of her hands gracefully. Zuko put the tip of his own sword up to her throat, dropping his other arm to his side. 

He opened his mouth but Gogo spoke first. 

“By the spirits, you’re barely even sweating Lee! That was exhilarating!” She paused and looked back at the tip of Zuko’s blade that was close to her throat. 

“... I surrender,” she huffed, bringing her hands down from their defensive position. 

Zuko smiled at her and sheathed his swords on his back. 

“You did pretty well, Gogo.” 

“Don’t sound too cocky!”

Zuko snorted. 

“LEE! My guy, what in Tui and La’s name did you give up to be so amazing?!” Sokka shouted, his question starting up a round of cheers from the dojo’s small crowd. 

“That _was_ really cool, Lee!” Aang’s voice rang out. 

_I swear Zuko, stop forgetting he’s here you’re going to give yourself an aneurysm—_

Zuko scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. The thought of what his father would think if he knew Zuko was pretending to be an Earth Kingdom citizen who worked in a tea shop and _just got complimented by the Avatar, who he was supposed to hunt this whole time and bring back to father in chains, even though the Avatar looked like a tiny kid who was just friendly and didn’t look like he had an ounce of cruelty in his gray eyes which by the way looked very much like Ty Lee’s eyes and woah back up does Ty Lee think he’s hunting the Avatar right now because that’s so funny that he’s not hunting the kid, no, the kid just complimented him on his sword-fighting, wait can’t the Avatar bend all the elements how is he impressed by simple sword fighting how weird—_

Anyway. Those thoughts of irony passed through his head so fast he almost got whiplash. 

He was still standing there rubbing his neck. 

_Agni could I get any more awkward…_

“Lee are you okay? You look kind of pale, like… more than usual,” Suki asked, concern laced in her voice. 

“Y-yeah. I’m fine, really, just uh… drank too much tea… yesterday…” 

_Oh by Agni's light you CAN get more awkward you absolute idiot—_

“I’m not kidding dude, you were really badass with those swords,” Sokka said, now patting Zuko’s shoulder. 

“Sokka, don’t swear!” Katara chided, once again covering the Avatar’s ears. She shook her head at her brother and looked at Zuko. “And, Lee? That was pretty cool. Maybe if you taught my brother your fighting style, he’d act more civilized!” Katara barked, aiming the insult at Sokka. Aang nodded his head vigorously in Katara’s hands. 

Zuko’s arms flailed out in front of him before he could stop them. 

“Uh, sorry, Sokka, but I’m no teacher,” He exclaimed, face probably crimsoned from the compliments. “I, uh, wouldn’t be a good fit compared to Suki.” 

“Thanks, Lee,” Suki said. She clapped her hands together. 

“Now that we’ve established that Lee is, in fact, a natural with broadswords, we need to work on shielding. Gogo, there were many times you could’ve blocked—“

Zuko blocked out Suki’s explanation in favor of giving his good ear a rest. And keeping his brain from overexerting its capacity for talking to people. 

He felt the Avatar’s eyes fixated on him.

* * *

Suki was totally right, Sokka had tons of potential. A year of just being active like he was now and he’d have some really nice, toned muscles. 

Weird thought to have. 

The whole day was filled with sparring, going around to fix forms, and being asked _tons_ of questions about the dynamics of his swords by Sokka. 

Zuko only truly relaxed when the Avatar left with Katara to go… do something. He made an effort to ignore everything about the Avatar. 

The Avatar, however, kept his eyes on Zuko almost _the whole day._ Zuko felt like the little guy was seeing right through him. It was unfair. The Avatar couldn’t just come to Kyoshi and immediately see through a lie Zuko had been telling for almost _two years._ The anniversary of his banishment was coming up in a few months, the Avatar was not going to ruin his two-year streak of being a normal guy named Lee. 

Zuko was terrified of this fucking kid and it was exhausting. He could ruin everything! Agni, if Suki, Kovah, Beyin, or any of the other Kyoshi warriors knew who he really used to be… who he was… 

They would probably have no qualms slitting his throat. Either that or never want to be friends with him ever again. Zuko found himself being more afraid of the latter. 

Zuko had asked Sokka what he and the Avatar were doing on Kyoshi Island (Yes he’d been aggressive but his whole _peace of mind was in danger thank you very much)._ Sokka simply said they were passing through on their way to the North Pole to find a waterbending master for Aang. Zuko almost scoffed. From what he remembered of his travels, the North Pole was super hard to find. 

Then he found out, again from Sokka, that the Avatar had mastered no other element but _air._

Honestly, Zuko had assumed the Avatar’s job was to take down his… father… but the kid didn’t even know _fire bending._ Zuko was going to go mental. 

Luckily, he would probably be able to forget about all this once the Avatar left the Island. Which, according to Sokka, was as soon as possible. 

Good. Zuko wants no part in his father’s war. No matter what side. 

The day ended with Zuko mentally exhausted once again from talking to people for too long, but feeling a nice stretch in his muscles. Sokka still blabbered on through the day but Zuko could tell he was tired as well. Even Suki looked worn out, giving Zuko a tired glare when he raised his eyebrow at her messed up lipstick (courtesy of Kovah, of course). The Avatar and Katara were still out which put Zuko at ease as he packed his swords back onto his back. Pulling the twine out of his hair roughly, he waved bye to everyone at the dojo as he left. Sokka’s wave back was extremely overkill but Zuko felt no annoyance from it. Sokka _was_ the first boy his age he’s really talked to like he has to his friends at the dojo. Although they were a strange case, given the fact they kind of pulled him into their group when he first came to the island. 

Making the trek back to the tea shop was a short walk, but a scenic one, the view of the beach being a sight never too overwhelming. It gave Zuko some semblance of sanity, that the ocean was always there, never angry on the shores of Kyoshi Island. Zuko had lived on a boat for a year and he could tell you, an angry ocean is made to make people feel sick and unwell, while the calm shores simply gave most people peace of mind. 

Where was the Avatar this whole time, anyway? He looked so young, was he born recently? All the people in the Fire Nation thought the Air Avatar was born one-hundred years ago, and if he were alive today he’d look super old. 

Then again the Fire Nation thought a lot of things that were wrong. 

Zuko scowled at himself.

_Don’t let your thoughts dwell on the Avatar. It’s a useless thing to do._

He let the tension seep out of his shoulders as he pushed the door to the tea shop open, the familiar sound of the twinkling bell ringing overhead. 

“Zuko! I just closed up, the sun’s going down! You’re back later than usual.” 

Zuko lightly smiled at his Uncle as he passed him behind the counter to re-mount his swords. 

“Remember that guy, Sokka? He asks a lot of questions.” 

Uncle chuckled. “He seemed like the type. Did you…?”

The young firebender sighed deeply. “Yes, Uncle, I did, in fact, meet the Avatar. His name is Aang and… he’s just some kid.” 

“An airbender?” 

“... Yeah.” 

Uncle shrugged. “Life is strange, nephew. This is just another one of those odd occurrences.” 

“Well, he should be going away soon,” Zuko said, trying his best to be lighthearted, “He needs to find a waterbending master in the North Pole. Apparently, he only knows airbending, after all these years.” 

Iroh scratched his beard. “I take it you’ll be counting down the days until he leaves?” 

“... That’s a good idea. Uh, anyway, I didn’t do morning meditations today, can I go up to do the sunset routine…?” 

“Yes of course,” Uncle waved him off, “Take your time.”

Zuko did take his time. It was dark and Uncle had already passed by the backroom to say goodnight. Zuko’s sunset routine of meditation consisted of feeling the sun go down and making two equal flames with his palms facing down. It was a little tricky to keep upside down flames equal for so long, but the exercise was meant to help control. 

When he stood up his knees cracked, and as he stretched his arms over his head his elbows cracked as well. He remembered Uncle had said something about buying more shortening for their restock of Wagashi pastries, and Zuko wasn’t particularly tired, so he headed for the kitchen. 

In baking, Zuko found the perfect way to stop thinking. The way the pastry dough was always the same calmed him. He remembered when he had gotten back from the dragons and Uncle had opened the tea shop. Compared to his old life as a prince, Zuko felt useless, restless even, working at the tea shop, even with the visits to the dojo. Some weirdly slow afternoon, Uncle came back from the marketplace and plopped a thick scroll in front of Zuko’s resting bitch face. It was a baking scroll. Wagashi pastries were popular in this area of the Earth Kingdom, but they were considered an especially hard to get dish due to their popularity in older generations. The ingredients weren’t even hard to gather, and Zuko was feeling major levels of uselessness back then, so he decided to try and give Uncle some business. 

Zuko was accustomed to failure. That’s why after the seventh try, he didn’t quit, and his Wagashi recipe was perfected. 

Now it was simply a mindless task, to press his palms into the dough that often frequented the counters of his kitchen space. 

The process went as it usually did, smoothly. He made enough for two batches, which was good enough for him considering how tired he was becoming. 

In fact, he was so tired he forgot common sense. 

To make the filling of a berry Wagashi pastry, a burner is used to combine the ingredients and heat them up. Zuko was apparently, at the moment, too lazy to reach for the spark rocks. He simply lit a finger on fire and ignited the burner. 

Did he forget there were several windows in the kitchen?

A small pitter-patter of taps and a gasp of pure joy made Zuko become completely alert and realize exactly the extent to which he fucked up. He whipped his head around only to find the Avatar’s huge gray eyes staring at Zuko with his nose pressed up against the glass. 

Zuko's mind went fuzzy. He remembered walking to the window, opening it, and throwing a handful of crushed berries into the Avatar’s face, snarling a quick “go away!”.

Zuko also remembered thinking _so_ many curse words.

_He knew._

_The Avatar_ **_knew._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor zuko he's probably trying so hard not to scream... aang idk what laws changed in the past 100 years but stalking is not something people do btw like I know you used to hang out with bumi but im pretty sure bumi doesn't know what a boundary is
> 
> also guys, the validation worked i wrote a second chapter with 4k words like jeez


	3. Lessons on Guilt, Fainting, and Pies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko doesn't want to be involved with his father's war. 
> 
> But the smile of a certain airbender certainly makes it hard not to cave in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was going thru stuff sorry this took so long
> 
> school is so rough buddy...... errrghhhh
> 
> I hate writing fanfics bc I go read other people's works and realize I write like a ten-year-old. 
> 
> btw I'm going to change the chapter titles to the song you should listen to after or while you read the chapter. because I'm extra as hell like that.

Iroh found his nephew passed out on the floor of the tea shop’s back kitchen with flour covering the area around him and in his face and hair. 

This was obviously concerning for a multitude of reasons. 

Gently, he squatted down. His old bones creaked as he reached a hand out to shake Zuko awake. One simple touch sent the boy scrambling to get up, dousing Iroh in a bit of flour. 

Iroh was no stranger to a troubled teen. Zuko’s heavy breathing said a lot about when the sixteen-year-old was going to freak out. 

“Zuko,” Iroh said slowly, “Are you alright?” 

The former prince frantically closed up the bags of ingredients he’d left open and dumped whatever concoction he’d had on the stove last night (which had burned) into the trash. Zuko whipped around his hair an absolute mess. 

“I… will make the pastries… later,” He said in almost a whispered tone. Iroh noticed his shoulders were shaking. _All_ of Zuko looked shaken up, and he was pale like he’d seen a ghost. 

“Are you sick?” 

“Wha— no!” Zuko spluttered.

Iroh raised an eyebrow. His nephew caved into himself.

“Uncle, I fucked up _so_ bad. _So, so, so_ bad.” 

“What happened? You look pale,” Iroh said, wincing in sympathy. He reached a hand out to his nephew but Zuko shied away from it. 

Iroh learned many things about his nephew these past (almost) three years. He set out to please people and do what he thought was best for them, even if that meant lying, or hurting them in the process. It was difficult for Zuko to be straightforward, often jumping to conclusions about how he’d think people would react to things. 

And it made Iroh worry. 

The truth is, Iroh’s dream was to live peacefully, own his tea shop, and care for people. He’d done too much bad in his life to truly atone, but what he could do was simply exist until he was one with the spirits. 

Zuko didn’t have this resolve. 

* * *

**_The Wani, Fire Nation Battleship_ **

_Prince Zuko threw up the first time he attempted to firebend after the Agni Kai._

_Every time he failed, his resolve grew stronger, but his darker circles grew darker. He wouldn’t rest, he told his Uncle, not until the Avatar was found._

_And how could he find the Avatar if he couldn’t firebend?_

_After Sozin’s reign, fire bending came from fear, anger, and power._

_Never frustration._

_Composure was important to firebenders. The more control you had, the less area you’d destroy. Or more, depending on what your morals were._

_Iroh wouldn’t quell his nephew's anger, not when it was so justified. But he also wouldn’t stand by and watch him destroy himself._

_One day, Iroh found Zuko sitting on the edge of the Wani, dangling his legs overboard. His nephew stared vacantly into the ocean, the huge bandages covering most of his face and his newly shaved head._

_It was a terrifying sight, he was so close to the edge. And Iroh has never been naive. The young prince’s eyes held a vacancy only seen on those who had passed._

_Iroh was lucky to never see Lu Ten’s eyes like that, for his son’s body was too destroyed to be seen._

_He would not see those eyes on Zuko._

_It was that day that Iroh suggested they restart basics. And he told Zuko the most important lesson someone with his resolve can learn._

_Failure doesn’t define you, and you shouldn’t let it deter you._

_Zuko, constantly furious that he had to learn all this from scratch, complained like it was the end of the world. It probably felt like it was._

_He always yelled about how he felt like a child, and Iroh desperately wanted to yell back, ‘you are a child!’._

_Iroh realized back then, that he was proud of Zuko like he was his own son. He knew nothing could replace the hole that had been left in his heart when Lu Ten passed, but Zuko was slowly mending it._

_He would follow his nephew to the ends of the Earth._

* * *

“I promise I’ll be back later… hopefully,” Zuko said, pushing past his worried-looking Uncle. 

He couldn’t tell him he got caught. Zuko couldn’t bear seeing Uncle’s disappointed face, or Agni-forbid, his angry face. Which, Zuko has never seen of course, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t terrified someday he would witness it. 

It didn’t matter. Zuko could _fix_ this. He had to, for his and his Uncle’s sake. 

He wasn’t really thinking, walking out of the safety of the tea shop, looking like utter shit.

“Z— LEE!” He heard his Uncle call out. 

Zuko kept walking. He could _fix_ this. He _would_ fix this, then he’d come back to the shop and make the pastries, and finish his day by flipping the sign on the door. 

He angrily stomped to the dojo, and as soon as he got there he noticed Suki, Hano, and Gogo practicing with their fans. 

“... Where is the Avatar?” He asked slowly, hoping to the spirits that the airbender hadn’t told any of the Kyoshi warriors about his secret. 

“Uh… hey, Lee. Sokka and his buddies were just heading to the tea shop, looking for _you_ , actually—“ 

Zuko scowled and turned on his heel. He put a hand up to wave stiffly and headed right back the way he came. He heard Suki call after him, but the familiar feeling of determination washed over him. 

So, the Avatar also told those Water Tribe siblings. Great! Wonderful! 

It would be an absolute miracle if Zuko didn’t kill the Avatar the second he saw him. 

Well… that’s extreme but _still._ He tried not to let his emotions run too high anymore, but the Avatar was really testing him.

As he swerved through people on the road, he searched for those bright and overbearing yellow and orange that the airbender wore. 

_There!_

Grabbing the back of the Avatar’s orange collar was the most satisfying feeling he’s gotten all day. 

Ignoring the protests of the Water Tribe siblings, he dragged Aang all the way to a back alley he knew of close to the shop. His angry stomps probably made him look like an overbearing older brother, but maybe that was the look he was going for. Can’t look suspicious.

_You are literally dragging the most powerful kid in the world to an alleyway to threaten him and you don’t want to look_ **_suspicious?!_ **

Yeah, Zuko didn’t really think this through. Quite obviously, he had the tendency to never think anything through. 

Zuko pushed the Avatar into the wooden wall of the nearest building by his collar, while Katara and Sokka rushed to his side. 

“What. Did. You. See?” Zuko snarled. 

He _hated_ that his first reaction was to be angry and aggressive, but his _life_ was on the line at this point. He couldn’t… spare time to think about the way he was acting… the way he would always have this aggression in him, just like his _father_ and sister. Zuko and his Uncle had _worked_ on this. Zuko learned to calm his breathing, count to ten, and squeeze things until they shattered. But he learned that taking his anger out on others was wrong. He didn’t _have_ to be like Azula or Father to be respected. 

But since the Avatar came crashing into his safe haven here on Kyoshi, all that flew out the window. It’s like he was back to being thirteen, on a boat with a crew that didn’t want him, a bandaged eye, and an annoying hunger for a false sense of honor. It sickened him that all it took for him to lose composure was this little bald kid. 

For some reason, Aang grinned at Zuko. “It’s you! I can’t believe I found someone who can f—“ 

“Shut up! Agni, shut your mouth!” Zuko cut him off, dropping the boy from his grasp in what felt like a mixture of shock and disgust. Seriously, how did this kid not get the situation? Did he live under a rock for the last one hundred years or something? Did he not understand that being a fire bender meant you were _bad?_ What kind of idiot would mention firebending so publicly like that?

Zuko’s eye twitched. “Who— who did you _tell?”_

The Avatar grimaced. “Just… Katara and Sokka—“ 

“We are _right here_ , y’know!” Sokka squeaked from next to Aang. 

Zuko brought his hand up to pinch his nose, a nervous habit he had. He had three kids that knew a secret that could result in his death, or worse, another banishment, right in front of him and he couldn’t think of any effective threats that would silence them. 

This was why Azula was the favorite child. At least she could hurt people _successfully._

Aang opened his mouth, but Zuko put a hand up to silence him. He quickly put it down after Katara and Sokka flinched. 

Zuko controlled his breathing. His Uncle would be _nice_ about this. Call it a misunderstanding, then set them down for tea. Just… follow those three easy steps. 

“Look… I’m not going to hurt you. Whatever you _think_ I am, I’m not. And, really? Don’t stalk people. I get that you are the Avatar or something, but you are just a _kid,_ so I’ll let you off easy,” Zuko bargained.

“Why does it matter that I’m just a kid,” Aang pouted, “You’re just a teenager.” 

Sokka burst out laughing and Zuko scowled, mostly at the fact that it _was funny_ but he was in no mood to laugh. He crossed his arms.

“You are making it really difficult to let this slide,” Zuko commented, gritting his teeth. 

Katara scoffed. _"Y_ _ou’re_ letting this slide?” She drawled, sarcasm heavy in her voice, “Imagine how we feel knowing you’re an _ashmaker.”_

“ _Don’t_ call me that!” Zuko hissed, “And you people don’t know anything about me—“ 

Sokka put a hand up to quiet him, “Look man, I’m sorry Aang followed you home. I told him it wasn’t a good idea! But he _really_ needs a firebending teacher, and we saw your fighting style a-and the way you moved around reminded Aang of one of his old firebending friends or something,” The teen’s shoulders slumped in resignation, “And I thought you were... a pretty good pastry chef. When he came back last night all excited that ‘Lee _is_ a fire bender!’, we all agreed you’re our best bet!” Sokka turned to Aang, “What did you want to say, Aang?”

Sokka elbowed Aang and the airbender stepped forward. Zuko responded by stepping back. 

“Lee, are you a Master firebender?” 

Zuko clenched his fists. He supposed he had to mix the truth into his lies, or else he’d seem even more suspicious. Then again his whole life was a lie anyway... between brainwashing and propaganda, then creating a new identity? Yeah, Zuko could use a little truth in his life. Plus, some hidden smart part of him knew the Avatar would probably find out anyway. 

“... I am,” He replied, crossing his arms, “Why is that any of your business?” 

“It’s like Sokka said, I need to learn firebending. And apparently, there aren’t many good firebenders in the world anymore,” The Avatar explained with a melancholy expression. 

Aang deeply bowed to him, and Zuko took another step back. 

“Lee, would you do me the _honor_ of becoming my firebending teacher?” 

* * *

**_Western Air Temple, 1 week after Prince Zuko’s Official Banishment_ **

_Zuko’s face was in pain. The higher he went the more it ached, and the bandage prickled his skin uncomfortably. The young prince wanted to tear his skin off, but considering the fact that even if he turned his head too far he’d feel like he was on fire again, he decided against it._

_“Uncle! Can you go any faster?!”_

_“Maybe you could slow down, Prince Zuko! You don’t know what’s up there!” His uncle called up to him._

_“You’re just slowing me down, old man!”_

_Zuko raced to the top of the mountain. At first, he was momentarily confused as to why there was nothing there but then remembered the Western Air Temple was a hanging structure. Suddenly Zuko was glad he didn’t forget a rope._

_If this had been any other situation, maybe the young fire prince would admire the beautiful statues and architecture of the Air Temple. Maybe he would think before he stepped onto the stone floor._

_He knew he wouldn’t find the Avatar here, but the sooner he could find any clues as to where the Avatar might be, the sooner he’d go home._

_Zuko was taught, at some point, a little bit about airbenders. They were incredibly strong in combat, and they would’ve been the downfall of the Fire Nation if they weren’t wiped out. The young prince hadn’t formed much of an opinion on them, mostly because it never mattered to him. If the Firelord’s approved curriculum and his private tutors said the airbenders needed to die, then Zuko was in no position to question them._

_There was so much dust. Zuko assumed the temples had been cleaned out, but apparently, that didn’t warrant a sweep._

_He let his mind lead him farther into the temple, paying attention to the faded mosaics on the walls rather than where he was stepping._

_A loud clatter shook him out of his awe. When he looked down, his vision tunneled._

_The body was a little over three feet long, though it wasn’t really a body at all. There was no flesh besides the parts badly burned and fused with the bones. The previously yellow and orange fabric was mottled with gray and singed with black ashes. The remains of spiderwebs were weaved between what was left of the body’s ribs._

_Zuko scanned the rest of the room, with only the echo of his heavy breathing accompanying him._

_The closer you looked, the more bones you could see. The more caved in skulls, the more matted hair, the more muted orange and yellow. The burns across the marble walls._

_And the fire prince was back in the Agni Kai chamber. His ribs filled with webs as the arena slowly grayed. His own skull was cracked and crumbling on the left side of where his face was supposed to be. And he was back on his knees._

_“Nephew! I found a much more accessible entrance, with stairs— Prince Zuko?”_

_Zuko let his Uncle walk up behind him and place a sturdy hand on his shoulder and pull him up from his kneeling position. He let Uncle look at him with that disgusting face of pity he hated so much._

_“Uncle…” Zuko rasped, voice a product of his recent loss, “Why— What were the Air Nomads like?”_

_Uncle Iroh led the young firebender away from the middle of the temple and faced him towards the cloudy sky._

_“They were free spirits,” Uncle sighed, “Air is the element of freedom…”_

* * *

“... No.” 

The Avatar squawked in surprise, “What?! Why?” 

Zuko sighed and leaned against the alley’s dirty wall. He was already in day-old clothes anyway. 

“What is your goal, Avatar?” 

“Aang needs to restore balance to the world,” Katara spoke up, “But first he needs to learn to bend all the elements, which unfortunately includes fire.” 

“What exactly does ‘bringing balance to the world’ entail?” Zuko asked. 

“Oh, y’know, fighting the Fire Nation, bashing the heads of ashmakers…” Sokka replied, making motions with his hands to show what bashing in a firebender’s head looked like. Katara must’ve seen Zuko’s grimace because she coughed and pointed to him, causing her brother to trail off and wince. 

Zuko wanted to ram his head into the wall. Three easy steps! Be nice, try to pass it off as a misunderstanding, then offer tea. 

It was time for phase three. 

“... Stop saying 'ashmaker'. It’s rude,” He scoffed, “It’s almost noon, would you guys like some tea?” 

“Yes!” Sokka answered with a fist pump at the same time Aang spluttered out, “W-what?! I need firebending, not tea!” 

“You aren’t going to get any firebending with that attitude,” Katara grumbled, “So yes, we’d like some tea.” 

“Oh, you guys are gonna _love_ the tea shop,” Sokka encouraged, “Lee makes an amazing tart.” 

“Don’t compliment me after putting my life in danger, please,” Zuko groaned. 

The Avatar perked up at that. “How did _we_ put your life in danger?!” 

“Have you ever _met_ a firebender before? We aren’t exactly known for being the best people. I love Suki, but it would be within her rights to slit my throat if she found out… she _can’t_ find out, okay?” 

Katara scoffed. “Suki would never do that! You’re just being dramatic.” 

Zuko scowled. “You’re kidding, right? I’ve— You know what? Let’s just… discuss this at the shop, please.” 

* * *

Zuko led the group of kids to the back of the shop where the kitchen was, luckily avoiding his uncle who was busy with a customer. He instructed the Avatar, Katara, and Sokka to sit wherever they wanted while he cleaned up the absolute mess of the kitchen he left. He also closed all the drapes, considering what happened last time he had them open. 

“So… gonna show us your jerk-bending?” Sokka asked, sliding across the counter and getting too close to Zuko for the firebender’s comfort. 

“W-what did you just call it?” 

“Jerk-bending. Because firebenders are jerks—“ 

Zuko rolled his eyes. “I get it. What kind of tea do you guys like?” 

“Why are you giving us tea?” The Avatar interrupted, “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with us you know, with the whole ‘you don’t know anything about me’ act.” 

“It’s not an act!” Zuko grit out, ignoring Katara and Sokka’s gasps when smoke came out of his nostrils. 

“You can— YOU CAN BREATHE F—“ 

Zuko slapped his hand over Sokka’s mouth. 

“I’m going to make tea. It’ll distract me from the urge to kill you all.” 

Sokka licked his hand. Zuko glared at him, and without breaking eye contact, maneuvered to the sink and aggressively scrubbed his hands. 

“When is your little… team leaving Kyoshi?” Zuko asked. 

“As soon as we’re ready,” Katara answered, “We— Aang needs a waterbending teacher, so we’re heading to the North Pole.” 

“I thought you were a waterbender,” Zuko said casually, throwing a dishrag on his shoulder.

“I am,” Katara huffed, crossing her arms, “By the way, just know I don’t trust you.” 

“Katara!” Aang protested. 

Zuko shrugged. “She’s being smart at least. No one on this island knows I’m a firebender.” 

“He could totally be a fire nation spy!” Sokka agreed. 

“Then why’d you encourage me to talk to Lee?!” Aang threw up his hands at Sokka. 

“Because I— Because he— I mean—“ 

Zuko tuned out their arguing to set up a pot of tea. He grew more tired as the day went on, and luckily he was pretty sure Aang wouldn’t go around yelling his secret, not when his expression became so worried when Zuko told him that his life would be in danger. Beyin said something about Aang mentioning being a pacifist the day before, so Zuko assumed he stuck to the Air Nomad custom of believing all life was sacred. Even the lives of firebenders. 

Sokka’s face popped up in his peripheral vision. “Please, Lee, tell me you aren’t a fire nation spy!” 

Zuko was going to retort, just to get the kids off his back, but Sokka seemed to be making an expression with his eyes that resembled something of a seal-dog, so Zuko caved. 

“I’m not. In fact, I don’t want anything to do with the war. Which is why I wasn’t too pleased to find that Avatar himself followed me home.” 

“What do I have to do with the war? I mean, I know the Avatar— my job is to bring balance to the world, but you could totally teach me firebending and stay out of the war, right?” Aang asked, his voice weirdly quiet. 

“Me talking to you right _now_ could make me and my Uncle a target,” Zuko spoke softly, “The Fire Nation will see anyone who sides with the Avatar as a threat, as a _traitor_.” 

Zuko resisted the urge to say, _been there, done that._ Well, he wasn’t a full-blown traitor, but if his— if the Firelord knew what Zuko thought of the Fire Nation now… yeah. 

“Are you saying you’re _loyal_ to the Fire Nation?” Katara sneered. 

“No! I just— I can’t— well I shouldn’t… get involved in the war. I like it on Kyoshi Island, where nobody knows I’m a firebender. I have actual friends and family here. People like Lee, not Lee the firebender.” 

Silence stretched between the group of kids. It was broken by the ringing of the teapot. 

Zuko poured their cups. 

“It’s uh— it’s actually good,” Katara commented. 

Zuko huffed. “Don’t sound so surprised. I literally work in a tea shop.” 

They all drank in silence once again. 

“Hey, Lee… can I speak to you for a second? Um… alone?” Aang asked, mumbling. 

“Aang, are you sure—“ 

“Katara,” Sokka interrupted, “Let the most powerful kid in the world talk to the Jerkbender. I wanna go say hi to Lee’s Uncle anyway.” 

“Go ahead,” Zuko nodded. 

Zuko watched as the water tribe siblings walked out, Sokka blabbering about how nice Uncle was. 

As the door shut, the Avatar set down his cup. Zuko wasn’t sure what to expect, so he kept his breathing steady in case his assumption about Aang’s pacifist ways were incorrect. 

“Lee, what you said about… what happened to the airbenders… I don’t blame every firebender for it,” He sighed, scratching his arm. His expression was tight, his eyebrows drawn together. 

Zuko didn’t make eye contact with the airbender. 

“You should.” 

A pause. 

“Blame them, I mean. It was horrific, what happened. If you don’t mind me asking, where _were_ you? For the past hundred years, people have been… searching, hoping you’d come back…” He trailed off. 

Aang’s expression changed into something dangerously dull. 

“I was in an iceberg. I ran away, one-hundred years ago, the day they told me I was the Avatar. I ran away from my responsibilities… and now I need to fix that.” 

The ‘ _I don’t want to_ ’ was left unspoken. 

“You know, I never wanted to be the Avatar.” 

Zuko rested his elbow on the kitchen counter. “Why are you telling me this?” He asked. 

Aang smiled softly. “You reminded me of someone I used to know… his name was Kuzon, and he was a firebender, just like you. When I woke up and learned that the Fire Nation had attacked the world I thought, _‘I’ll never have another friend like Kuzon,’..._ and I guess that’s why I followed you. I recognized your fighting style, and Sokka has babbled about your tart making skills the day before. So I guess I… I guess I wanted to be your friend. Even if you don’t want to teach me firebending, I _still_ want to be your friend, Lee.”

Zuko was rendered speechless. 

_Iceberg…?_

“I— Aang… is it— can I… can I show you? My fire, I mean.” 

The Avatar nodded. Zuko outstretched his hand and the flame that built up was colored gold, the usual orange flickering around the edge. 

“I’m not sure I should teach you,” Zuko said, slowly, “I’ve made my life here on Kyoshi Island. And… I can admit, being confronted by the Fire Nation isn’t something I want to do… but… but I don’t want the world to remain out of balance,” He closed his hand, the flame going out with the motion. “All elements are necessary to keep that balance, so… I can think about it, I guess.” 

“Really?!” Aang turned his head up excitedly. 

“I said maybe!” Zuko shouted, back to his usual pout. 

A strange but content silence filled the room between the two boys. Aang’s grin stayed bore across his round face. 

The airbender eventually broke the silence by exclaiming, “Hey, those kinda look like the pans Monk Gyatso used to make fruit pies in!” 

Zuko followed Aang’s pointed hand to the tart plates on the shelf opposite to where the boys were standing next to each other. 

“Huh… air nomad fruit pies, huh?” Zuko mumbled, pulling out his notepad from his apron. “Mind telling me the recipe?” 

The firebender didn’t think it was possible for Aang’s grin to get wider, but by the spirits, it must’ve grown three times the previous size.

* * *

**_Western Air Temple, 1 week and 3 days after Prince Zuko’s official banishment_ **

_“It is quite a stunning view.”_

_Zuko and Iroh stood at the edge of the Western Air Temple, facing the sunset. It had taken three days to collect all the remains of the airbenders, cremate them, and let their ashes spread through the wind in the chasm below the hanging temple._

_Zuko was a bit miffed it took them quite a while, but then again he had ordered the crew of the Wani not to get involved._

_“The only view I’m interested in seeing… is the sunrise back on Caldera City.”_

_Iroh looked at his nephew strangely, like he was expecting another response._

_“You know… the Avatar hasn’t been seen for one hundred years. The chances of finding him in one of the air temples are very slim,” the old man inquired._

_The prince’s brow furrowed. “First we'll check each of the air temples, then we'll scour the world, searching even the most remote locations until we find him.”_

_Iroh’s expression turned back to that look of pity Zuko hated so much._

_“Prince Zuko, it's only been a week and some time since your banishment. You should take some time to heal and rest.”_

_“What else would I expect to hear from the laziest man in the Fire Nation?” Zuko scoffed, “The only way to regain my honor and return home is to find the Avatar, so I will.”_

_Iroh only sighed. But his faith did not waver. Prince Zuko ordered the airbender’s bodies to be respectfully disposed of, and he’d asked his uncle many questions about their history and culture as the days went on. He wasn’t ever heartless, not like his father had tried to teach him to be. Plus, Iroh knew the look on his nephew’s face too well._

_Guilt._

_And guilt always was the first step in one’s path to redemption._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did yall enjoy the dialogue change in the flashback? i hope u did <3
> 
> hopefully zhao will appear next chapter and I'll actually get past the exposition of this story. but also like fuck zhao so-
> 
> zuko's big brother instincts are literally kicking him in the head so hard 
> 
> also this chapter is so long what-


	4. How to Kick Assholes in the Nuts and Lie To Your Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko bakes cookies for children and becomes a wanted vigilante traitor. All in the span of about 48 hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHAJAGKDLADAK HI GUYS I LOVE ALL YOUR COMMENTS SO MUCH LMAOJSHJF
> 
> someone said Zuko's internal monologue sounded like Haru from 50% off and can I just say; I love you <3 
> 
> ALSO!! I saw yall talking about how Katara and Sokka kept giving mixed signals to Zuko; calling him askmaker and stuff- My HC is that in the fire nation, 'ashmaker' is an extremely offensive term, but in the SWT/rest of the world, you kinda just call firebenders that as slang/showing distain for them. Also, Katara and Sokka are pretty traumatized by the people of the fire nation so I wanted them to encourage Aang while also not trusting Zuko much at all. Another point; everyone in ATLA is like a huge hypocrite CONSTANTLY. I think the only characters who are pretty straightforward are Toph and Suki, but even then we all know Toph becomes a c... co... cop... 
> 
> whatever in my mind Bumi just gave his throne in Omashu to her LMAOOOO point is these characters are complex AND traumatized so their actions are all over the fuckin place I swear
> 
> ANYWAY I love all of you so much it's ridiculous!!! I wanted to get this out before my country goes into anarchy (guess where I live lmao) so grab some water, a snack, a quiet playlist and enjoy the chapter!!

“LEE! Help!” 

Zuko calmly walked up to the glass that Sokka was desperately knocking on and crossed his arms. 

Sokka smiled, but dragged his hands across the glass, leaving streaks that Zuko just had to scrunch his nose at. “Lee! Thank La, I needed to get away before Suki got me, my muscles are way too sore to do anything today!” The boy whined, “Please let me hide, I’ll do anything!” 

Zuko smirked. 

“Anything?” He yelled to the boy through the glass. 

“Anything!” 

Zuko opened the door and handed Sokka a rag and pointed to the sink behind the counter. 

“You’re on duty here today. I can’t promise Suki won’t find you, though.” 

“Man, you are a lifesaver!” 

The firebender rolled his eyes and started to head back to the kitchen. “Wipe off those gross fingerprints you left. I need to make at least one more batch of pastries before opening.” 

“Kay, Jerkbender!” 

“I don’t bend, remember?!” 

“Oh, yes, yup, of course. I guess that just makes you a normal jerk, then?” Sokka taunted. 

“Don’t test me, or else Suki might just show up behind you.”

Sokka laughed, but he gave away his fear by turning back to his window-washing job. Satisfied, Zuko slid the door to the kitchen shut and got straight to work. 

Weirdly enough, Sokka was easy to be around. He reminded Zuko of Suki in that way. When Sokka called him a jerk, he never got the same feeling as when Azula used to call him _weak_ or Ozai called him _useless_. It felt… natural, and for some reason, Zuko couldn’t get mad at the nickname. 

_Press._

_Fold._

_Punch._

_Press._

_Fold._

_Punch._

_Roll._

_Fill._

_Fold._

_Fill._

_Fold._

_Fill._

_Fold._

Before his brain could really register it, Zuko was sliding the tray into the wood oven. He dusted his hands-free of flour and looked around the kitchen. His vision zeroed in on a bag of sugar. 

Eh, he had time. 

Zuko finished prepping when Sokka busted through the door. The guy seemed to always announce his presence in some sense. 

“I finished!” He cried. 

The other teen crossed his arms. “Every window?”

“Yup!” 

“Both sides?” 

“Yup!” 

“... Locked the door?”

“Yes sir!” 

“Good.”

Awkward silence permeated the kitchen.

“Um,” Sokka scratched his ear, “So… whatcha making?” 

“Sugar cookies.”

“Can I help?” 

Zuko sighed. He was used to baking alone, others usually made his space crowded. 

But it would be pretty awkward if he said no, so. 

“Sure. Can you separate the egg yolks from the whites for me?” Zuko asked, jutting his thumb toward the egg carton on the counter. 

Sokka blinked slowly.

“You’ve never baked before, have you?” 

Sokka shook his head in guilt. 

Zuko groaned. It was going to be a long morning. 

* * *

Did Sokka really want to ditch the Kyoshi Warriors today? Not really. He was sore though. So he wasn’t super guilty about lying to Lee. 

Katara was still uneasy about Aang interacting with Lee. Or interacting with firebenders at all. Sokka didn’t care that much, because if Lee stepped out of line he would just throw his boomerang into the guy’s skull. Solid plan. Katara on the other hand wanted to trust him fully before being all buddy-buddy with him. Even if that meant going behind both Aang and Lee’s back. 

And she sent Sokka to be the lamb-pig to the slaughter. Not that he minded, he doubted Lee was evil, and if he was then Sokka didn’t really think he’d pull something in the tea shop. 

It was weird. Sokka was usually the skeptic of the group, but he felt this weird pull to Lee. The guy just… wasn’t intimidating when he first met him. And then the whole _show_ he put on with those swords… it didn’t scare Sokka or make him think the other teen was dangerous, it just made him _admire_ him. 

Wow. Admiring a firebender. Never thought he’d stoop so low. 

As he finished up scrubbing the windows of the shop, he tried to think about the pros and cons of making friends with a firebender. So far, he had this;

Pros: The Avatar learns firebending, the team knows their enemies better, and free baked goods. 

Cons: Firebenders are the enemy, and the chances of being lit on fire get a little higher. You know, betrayal and stuff. 

The last pro was a lot more convincing than all the cons. 

While he didn’t particularly want to help make sugar cookies, being alone in the kitchen with Lee was a pretty great opportunity to interrogate the teen. And Sokka wasn’t one to pass up opportunities. 

Lee finished showing Sokka how to separate egg whites from the yolks (Why can’t it all be just egg?) and turned back to mixing whatever else would result in sugar cookies. 

After a particularly satisfying egg crack, Sokka tried to start a flow of conversation. 

“So, Lee… what’s the special occasion? I didn't see sugar cookies on the menu.” 

“Oh,” Lee stammered, “Well I… there’s a school on the island… the kids usually come by after school so uhm… today is a long day for them, and I usually make something… sweet because um… kids seem to like that?” 

Sokka looked over his shoulder to see Lee’s face with a dusting of pink covering his cheeks. The water tribe boy held in a snicker. 

“Yeah, I get it,” Sokka smiled a bit, “the kids back at my village were like that. They would constantly ask for _akutaq,_ even in the winter when the berries didn’t grow.” 

Lee clapped his hands together, sending puffs of flour in the air. 

“Do you miss those kids? Back at…” 

“The Southern Water Tribe,” Sokka finished for him, taking a mental note of how his eyes widened slightly, “And yeah, I guess. Although I found them kinda annoying. It was always ‘Cousin Sokka watch!’ and ‘Sokka, can I hold your boomerang?’. I thought I had some sort of authority over them but really I’m starting to realize I was kinda a glorified babysitter,” He finished, not caring to mask the bitterness that shone through his words. 

Lee glanced at him. 

“Where are you from, Lee?” Sokka changed the subject, “Fire Nation?” 

“No!”

Sokka blinked. 

“Uhm— I mean— I’m not from the Fire Nation uhm… technically… I uh… am from some colonies, so like, Earth… Kingdom? Mixed with Fire Nation… yeah, I mean, I guess you assumed because… of…” 

“Yeah.” 

Lee cleared his throat and went back to dancing around the kitchen. He stopped as he put a bag of flour on a shelf, turning back to Sokka, who had finished with the eggs. 

“Why did you leave your tribe?” 

“Well,” Sokka grimaced and scratched the back of his neck, “Some asshole Admiral from the Fire Nation was in the area when Aang like… made some weird light-beam or something. The guy was all set on capturing Aang because it would ‘get him ranked higher’ and ‘bring him closer to being the Firelord’s right-hand man!’ or something along those evil lines. The bastard kinda chased us but of the tribe with a couple of huge metal boats but luckily we found Kyoshi Island—“ 

Suddenly Lee’s face was two inches from his. 

“You brought a fire nation _admiral_ to Kyoshi?!” 

“What? No! I’m pretty sure we got him off our trail…” 

“Oh… this is _bad_ , very _bad,”_ Lee began to pace around. He turned to Sokka. 

“What did you say this Admiral’s name was?” 

“Um, I didn’t say,” Sokka stammered, “but I think his name was… Zhao?” 

Lee paled and opened his mouth, but it was then that Uncle Mushi decided to come through the door. 

“Oh, nephew, you didn’t tell me you had a friend over!” 

“Uncle!” Lee exclaimed, voice cracking, “Can I speak with you, for a minute?” 

“Of course, what’s wrong—“ Mushi tried before being shoved out by Lee.

The other teen stared straight into his soul and jabbed a finger at him. 

“Mix the egg whites with those dry ingredients. Then, go run and get Suki and tell her to meet me in this kitchen as soon as possible. Tell her it’s an _emergency.”_

“Dude, wait—“ 

The door slammed shut and Sokka was left alone with the unbaked contents of sugar cookies. 

* * *

****

“Zuko? What’s wrong?” 

Zuko put a steadying hand on the wall. His uncle had led him halfway up the small stairs to talk in hushed voices, so the teen didn’t have half a heart to berate him for using his real name. 

“U-uncle,” Zuko tried his best to regain control of his breathing, “They- the Avatar, his friends, they led a fire nation ship here! Maybe even a whole fleet!” 

“Slow down,” Uncle said, firm. At least Zuko knew Uncle wouldn’t let him spiral here, not in the midst of a dangerous situation. 

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Zuko slid down the wall and sat down, his knuckles turning white as he grasped his knees in frustration. 

“Do what?” 

Zuko looked to his concerned Uncle, who had seated himself beside Zuko. 

“The Admiral… it’s Zhao.” 

Uncle’s expression grew surprised, then bitter. Zuko rarely saw that face on his ever-kind Uncle.

“Of course they promoted him. I’m surprised you remember Zhao,” Uncle looked back to his nephew. 

“Of course I remember him,” the boy laughed, short and sour, “He’s the only one I really remember.” 

“Hm? Why him?” 

“He was there,” Zuko said, “When… and he _smiled._ He laughed and— and I remember how it sounded… I still hear it, sometimes. In nightmares...” Zuko got quieter as he spoke, the last words coming out as nothing but a croak. 

“Oh, nephew…” 

The younger firebender found himself enveloped in his Uncle’s arms. He let the soft robes ground him, and took comfort in the fact that Uncle knew not to mention any stray tremors or tears. 

They sat like that for a while, soaking up each other’s presence. Zuko knew, for as much as he didn’t show it, he loved his Uncle. At this point, he feared any change that could disrupt what peace his Uncle had made here at the Jasmine Tea House. And now a big one was heading right for them. 

And it was just Zuko’s luck that change came in the form of one of the biggest assholes in the fire nation. 

“What happens now?” 

“Well,” Uncle sighed, “that’s up to you.” 

“Me?!” Zuko blurted, “It’s up to _you._ You’re the Dragon of the West, Zhao will recognize you. Then? What happens to the tea shop? To the apartment? To, I don’t know, the entire Island?!” 

“I must leave before he arrives.” 

“Then we should start packing!” Zuko stated, abruptly standing up.

“But, Zuko,” Uncle stood up as well, but slower. He placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder. 

“What about the Avatar?” 

Zuko shrugged his hand off. “What about him?” 

“He asked you to teach him firebending, did he not?” 

“Yes, but I refused,” Zuko refuted.

“You said you would think about it.”

“I—“ 

“What’s your answer, then?” 

Zuko crosses his arms. “Obviously it’s no! Our identities are in danger, the tea shop is in danger—“ 

“Yes, but what about you, Zuko?” Uncle asked. He was using that tone. The tone that meant _‘I am going to make you listen to some mind-numbing life advice and you will probably follow it because I’m just that wise’._

Zuko groaned. “This isn’t about me! This about— I don’t know— the tea shop? What happened to living in peace? Don’t tell me you think joining the Avatar on his little mission to bring balance to the _world_ would be peaceful!” 

“No, but living in peace was never really… what you wanted,” Uncle sighed again. Zuko was going to set something on fire if he heard another sigh. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

Uncle shut his eyes. “I chose peace for you. It was the best option at the time, because—“ 

“I needed to humble myself. I know. And I did, and now I’m comfortable like this! I thought you would be happy!” 

A disheartening silence grew in the staircase. 

“I have failed you, nephew.” 

“Uncle— what?! Are you kidding? I’d probably— I’d be just like Zhao if you hadn’t stuck with me!” 

“No, no, it’s not that,” Uncle sighed— back again with the Agni-damned sighing— “I’m proud of how far you’ve come, Zuko. I’m so proud. I am happy.” 

The younger firebender felt his throat close up at that. It was practically impossible for him to not get emotional at praise from his Uncle. 

“But… I’m not sure _you’re_ happy, like this.” 

“Of course I am!” Zuko protested, “I like working here, living on this island…” 

“Yes, but leaving this simple life was never your goal. It was mine.” 

“I— I mean, I don’t really have any goals, Uncle… after I stopped chasing the Avatar...” 

“That wasn’t a goal, more of a chore, really,” The older firebender wistfully remarked, “... What I really mean is— you never chose this life. You grew into it, and you learned to adapt to the challenges that came with giving up on your old goal. Which, at the time was good, but I remember you being quite a restless child. Always on the move… looking for adventure, opportunity…” 

Zuko grinned, playful. “What, surprised I held out this long, old man?” 

“Pleased. But I digress. You should go, see the world!” Uncle spread his arms in emphasis. 

“I’ve kinda already done that, it was a lot to take in,” Zuko deadpanned, “So, what you’re saying is, I should go with the Avatar, teach him firebending, and possibly get myself involved back into a war that my great grandfather started… for what? To find myself?!” 

Uncle shrugged. “Destiny works in funny ways.” 

“Oh, you know I don’t believe in that stuff, Uncle. Plus, considering my… heritage… It's very unlikely my destiny has anything to do with the Avatar.” 

Uncle hummed. 

He knew something Zuko didn’t. 

“Uncle…? You’re doing that thing when you want to say something that you shouldn’t,” Zuko said. 

“Well,” Uncle shifted, “Your destiny may be more intertwined with the Avatar then you think.” 

“Um… why?” 

“Your mother’s side of the family… well there was a reason Firelord Azulon decided on Ursa for the position of his son’s wife.” 

Zuko clenched and unclenched his fists a few times. He never handled his mother being brought up very well. 

“W-what was the reason?” He managed to croak. The next sentence that came out of his Uncle’s mouth might as well have given him whiplash. 

“Just as Firelord Sozin was your great grandfather on your father’s side, the Fire Avatar Roku is your great grandfather on your mother’s side.” 

Zuko plopped right back down on the stairs in shock. He pressed the heel of his palm into his forehead. 

Uncle calmly sat next to him, placing a hand on his nephew’s back. 

“Are you alright?” 

Zuko paused for a second. 

“Is it rude to shove the reincarnation of your great grandfather into a wall and yell at him?” 

Uncle froze, but then let out a big belly laugh. “I’m sure he’ll find it in his heart to forgive you,” he said, wiping away a tear from his laughter. “So, you aren’t freaking out?”

“No, I definitely am, I feel like my head is going to split in two,” Zuko replied. 

“Need to faint?” 

“That was one time, Uncle—“ 

“Two times.” 

Zuko just grunted in response. The trend of passing out after having big revelations was a hindrance. 

“Now I… I guess it would make sense to go with the Avatar, teach him a bit of firebending… but in doing that, I’m doomed to get involved in the war! I’ll be labeled a traitor, and they’ll put up wanted posters… unless…” 

“I don’t like that tone of voice,” Uncle nagged, “You have a plan, don’t you?”

“I’ve got a plan for myself. But what about you? Are you just going to stay here and pray Zhao doesn’t find you? Where will you go?!” 

“Always so concerned for a little old man like me…” Uncle groaned, standing up and cracking his back, Zuko following suit. “But no. I cannot take the risk of the Fire Nation finding me. Especially Zhao. That man always held ambition over anything else. He would no doubt try to recruit me to his cause, and in my refusal would claim me a traitor. No, I will go to our _last resort._ ” 

“Please don’t say you mean—“ 

“I must. It’s the safest city in the world! They shouldn’t suspect much of a weak old man, now would they?” 

Zuko sighed. His Uncle was anything but weak. Quite literally the opposite. Though, the stubby-ness was certainly a clever way to hide his actual strength as a bender. Not to mention the trusting demeanor. Zuko leaned against the wall for support while he gathered his scrambled thoughts. 

“Okay, we’ve both made our decisions, I guess,” Zuko said, rubbing his good eye. It was still somehow before opening time and yet his day had already been mentally exhausting. Uncle solemnly nodded. 

“... I think I know a way for both of us to go our separate ways without too much suspicion,” Zuko stage-whispered.

“Do tell.” 

* * *

“What do you think is going on?” Kovah asked, attempting to match Suki’s quickening walking pace. 

“Not sure,” Suki replied, “But it’s probably important. If Lee says it’s an emergency, well…” 

Kovah nodded. “It’s probably bad then. I mean, it’s hard to tell with him, he always either downplays things, or is super dramatic about it,” Her girlfriend sighed, brushing hair away from her face, “He’d bleed out without a sound, but a sheep-cat stuck in a tree would send him into a monologue about the importance of cute animals and why they need to be protected.” 

“Yeah,” Suki agreed with a giggle, “I remember the sheep-cat situation.” She sobered. “But he never uses the word _emergency_.” 

Kovah adjusted her fans before stopping in front of The Jasmine Tea House. “I know.” 

Sokka, who had led them back to the shop, opened the door and took his leave to the kitchen after letting Suki and Kovah know he didn’t know where Lee was. The Water Tribe boy muttered something about cookies that didn’t sound very appropriate as he shut the door.

Kovah snuffed casually. “You don’t think he called us here to bake, did he? It smells like sweets.” 

“It is a longer school day. But he likes to bake alone, I’ll be pretty surprised if he actually let other people into his kitchen,” Suki laughed. 

Kovah smirked. “Sokka said something about finishing cookies…” 

Suki side-eyed her partner. “Are you implying…” 

“Oh, I’m always implying.” 

Suki rolled her eyes but didn’t conceal her chuckle. “What, gonna return favor of finding a partner?” 

“Ugh, I wish I could,” Kovah groaned, “Like, he was able to set us up but we don’t know anything about his love life!” 

“Not sure if he has a love life, Kov.” 

“Don’t be mean about it,” Kovah laughed, “All I’m saying is we could totally set Lee and Sokka up—“ 

Suki flicked her girlfriend’s ear. “We don’t even know if Lee likes boys, Kovah.” 

Kovah gave her an incredulous look. 

“Okay. I see your point. But we shouldn’t assume,” Suki berated.

“I have a pretty good detector for these things,” Kovah shrugged, “And I think they would be a _perfect_ match.” 

“Sure. Just like us?” 

Kovah nodded, a fond smile taking over her features. “Just like us.” 

* * *

_“Stop staring at her.”_

_Suki slammed her hand on the table in surprise. “I-I wasn’t staring!”_

_“You were…” Lee made eye contact with Suki. “Listen… I’m in no position to say this, but just because you’re the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors doesn’t mean you have to isolate yourself from the others…”_

_“Yeah, you are in no position to say that! So watch it! But I don’t… I don’t isolate myself! What gave you that idea?”_

_“I dunno,” Lee shrugged, wiping off the inside of a glass cup, “I’m just a humble tea server.”_

_Suki snorted. He always said that phrase, and it came with a bitter tone each time. Almost like a running joke._

_“You’re also the new kid in town, and therefore a new friend. So, tell me what makes you think I’m isolating myself?”_

_Lee blinked slowly at her. Like a sheep-cat. “Um… I mean I lived here for what? Two months now? And I’ve never seen you talk to… what’s her name—“_

_“Kovah.”_

_“Right. Kovah. You talk to the other Warriors, although never about anything other than fighting, but you always… dodge her. You’re hiding right now, actually.”_

_Suki shrunk down in her chair at the table in the darkest corner of the shop. “I’m not hiding. And I don’t know— Kovah’s new to the Warriors, she wanted to finish school— and I uh…”_

_Lee’s (singular) eyebrow raised._

_“She’s really pretty…” Suki whispered._

_Lee blinked, looking back-and-forth from Kovah, who was in line to order tea from his uncle, and back to Suki and her dark corner._

_It took him a few minutes._

_“Oh.”_

_“Oh?! After all that time to think all you come up with is ‘Oh’?!”_

_Lee grimaced. “I mean… I’m only fourteen… I’m not good with uhm… love.”_

_“First of all,” Suki said, “I’m thirteen, and I’m the one with a crush. Second, it’s not love. It’s just a stupid crush. It’ll go away if I just ignore it.”_

_“It probably won’t if you just talk to her,” Lee hummed. Suki threw her hands up in the air. “That’s why I don’t!”_

_“Z—Lee! Will you come here and help this young woman out?” Uncle Mushi yelled from across the shop._

_Suki yelped and grabbed onto Lee’s robe._

_“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything,” Lee promised, throwing his rag over his shoulder and making his way towards Kovah._

_Suki resisted the urge to run a hand down her face, simply because she didn’t want to ruin her makeup._

_  
  
_

_A day later, when Lee was invited to the dojo for sparring, the boy picked Kovah to spar with. He made a show of beating her, but then announced Suki should be the one to help her fix her forms._

_This went on for several days. Lee would spar with Kovah, then bring over Suki to help her out, then disappear without a sound._

_Suki learned a lot about Kovah in those weeks. Her parents were repairmen, specialized in roofs, while her older brother was away to college in Ba Sing Se. Kovah herself joined the Kyoshi Warriors because she didn’t want to repair things like her parents, and she didn’t want to become a scholar like her brother. So she thought joining the Warriors would be an honorable thing to do while she figured herself out._

_She also has a knack for fighting people she can’t win against. So… learning how to properly fight would be beneficial._

_In return, Kovah learned a lot about Suki as well. She got Suki to open up easier than anyone else ever had. Kovah learned about how Suki’s mother died in childbirth and how she was taken in by the old Kyoshi Warriors. How she started training at age eight and mastered everything by age twelve, becoming the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors at that age as well. How sometimes she felt as if everyone saw her as a symbol of strength instead of just another teenage girl._

_And each day that they learned more about each other, Suki’s crush deepened. She made a habit of occupying The Jasmine Tea House just to gush over Kovah to Lee. He was a good listener._

_Lee had invited her over to the shop at night, which was weird since he always insisted on being alone at night._

_When she got there, she was surprised to see the shop lowly lit, with only Kovah standing outside._

_“Oh— hey!” She greeted Suki warmly, "Are you here to see Lee too?"_

_"Yeah!" She replied, "But um... he didn't tell me you'd be here. Not that I don't want you here or anything! I just wasn't expecting it... ha..."_

_Kovah giggled. "I... yeah. Same. I didn't think Lee would pull something like this..."_

_"Huh? What do you mean?" Suki asked, confused._

_Kovah coughed awkwardly into her fist. "Might as well get it over with..." She mumbled._

_With an exhale, the girl started her confession. "I actually came here to talk to Lee... about you. He uh, said I should tell you how I feel so I asked him if we could come up with a plan tonight but... I think he already made a plan," She chuckled, "Which I'm actually glad for, I usually bail on my plans... or they go wrong..."_

_"Kovah, I know you like schedules and planning and stuff, but you can talk to me whenever you want-"_

_"No, I know," Kovah wrung out her hands, "But this isn't just a talk... Suki. I like you. Like... more than a friend o-or a leader. I like you as in I have feelings for you? Does that even make sense..." She trailed off._

_Suki just laughed._

_"It makes total sense. And same. I like you, too. In a more than friend way."_

_Kovah grinned and her entire face lit up. "Really?!"_

_"Yeah," Suki breathed, "But I didn't think Lee was capable of this. He completely set us up!"_

_"What?!"_

_"Yeah, I told him I liked you, and I guess he already knew you liked me back, so," Suki gestured around her, "He set us up. Lee!" She called up to the apartment above the brand new tea shop._

_A window opened and the head of the dark-haired boy popped out. He looked nervous._

_“Um… hi… did it work?”_

_Suki outstretched a hand, and Kovah grasped it. They proudly lifted their hands so that Lee could see._

_He smiled, something genuine that Suki had never seen on the teaboy. Suddenly, the smile dropped._

_“Are you mad at me?”_

_“Are you kidding?” Suki yelled, “If anything, I love you! You are officially my best friend, Lee!”_

_“Mine too!” Kovah yelled, grinning ear to ear._

_Lee blinked owlishly. Then his head disappeared from the window and a resounding thump was heard. Suki looked at Kovah, who seemed just as lost as she felt._

_After some shuffling, Lee’s uncle Mushi poked his head out the window._

_“I apologize for my nephew’s absence,” he said, “It seems he as had… a fainting spell. He should be in tip-top shape by tomorrow.”_

_“Wha- are you sure he’ll be okay?!”_

_“Yes, yes,” Uncle Mushi assured, “He’ll just take a long nap. But congratulations girls!”_

_Suki and Kovah smiled, though they were still a little worried about their friend._

_“Thank you for being his friend,” the old man called down, tone soft, “And enjoy the rest of your night.”_

_“Goodnight Uncle Mushi!” The two called out as the window slid shut._

_Kovah spoke up first. “Well, that was weird.”_

_“Yeah, but we’ll come back to check on him tomorrow.”_

_“Together?”_

_“Yeah. Together.”_

* * *

“So, you knew a Fire Nation admiral was chasing you?” 

“Yes?” Sokka managed to squeak. Kovah was pretty intimidating when she was all up in your face. Scratch that. She was just downright intimidating.

“Alright, let’s all stop getting on Sokka’s ass about this,” Suki said, pulling her girlfriend away, “What we need right now is a plan.” 

“My Uncle and I are leaving,” Lee said, calmer than Sokka has ever seen him, “Uncle is leaving tonight, and I’m helping him pack up shop, but I’m leaving tomorrow morning to meet him.” 

_What?!_

Both Suki and Kovah fell silent. Sokka didn’t take that as a good sign. 

“You’re… leaving?” 

“Suki…” 

“Why?” Suki questioned, “I mean… we need you! To fight!” 

“Suki… I’m a refugee. I know what the Fire Nation can do, it’s best to just evacuate the island,” he said solemnly. 

“No… what was it you told me… ‘Never give up without a fight!’ right? What are we supposed to do, just let them take over the island?!” 

“No,” Lee grit his teeth, “This Admiral is looking for the Avatar. As long as he sees Aang, then sees him leave, he shouldn’t leave occupation on the island. Get Aang to fight him, then he escapes, Admiral Zhao follows, and whatever damages to the island will be repaired, and because they evacuated everyone should be safe!” 

“If everything will be okay, then why are you leaving? Why not return to the island, or help us?” 

“I have an Uncle to take care of… he said it’s a time for a change in scenery.” 

Kovah stepped closer to Lee and the boy refused to keep eye contact. “That doesn’t excuse the fact that you’re leaving. You… you’re our best friend. I don’t want to pretend that everything is normal if the tea shop, Uncle Mushi, and you are gone!” 

Sokka very much felt like he was intruding on something personal.

“I’m sorry okay! But- it’s not like you guys have to stay here either!” 

Suki crossed her arms. “Huh?” 

“All I’m saying is… there are other places in the Earth Kingdom that are a lot worse off than Kyoshi. Like… a lot worse. They could use some Kyoshi warriors.” 

“I… I like that idea.” 

“See?” Lee smiled softly, “We’ll meet again.” 

Kovah punched a fist into the air, her mood completely changed. “Field trip!” She cried. 

“Well, let’s survive a bunch of Fire Nation bastards first. Sokka?” 

He moved his head up fast enough to get whiplash. He was a little surprised to be addressed. “Yeah?”

“Tell Katara and the Avatar the plan.” 

“Yes sir!” he replied, mocking a salute. Lee grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. 

“Tell Aang I made up my mind.” 

_So, he’s not gonna teach Aang fire bending. Wow._

Aang’s going to look so sad… Sokka could see the hurt expression already. 

“Yeah,” he replied stiffly, “I will.” 

Lee frowned but regained his composure.

“Well… I’m going to make the most out of my last day on the island… Anyone want to hand out cookies with me?”

* * *

The day went by quickly, and Sokka told Katara and Aang the plan when it got dark. As Sokka had predicted, Aang was practically devastated that Lee didn’t want to be his fire bending teacher, but in true Aang fashion, his devastation only lasted about two minutes. 

For some reason, Aang thought he could still convince Lee. Sokka hoped Lee was gone by morning, for sake of the fire bender’s mental state. Aang wasn’t a convincing person, more like a headache that bothers you until you cave. 

In the morning, Sokka, Katara, and Aang met up with the Kyoshi Warriors as the plan was put into motion. Most of the Warriors went off to evacuate the citizens of the island, while Aang questioned Suki as to where Lee was. Apparently, he had already left after seeing Zhao’s ships on the horizon. Predictable. 

Aang still didn’t look too discouraged. It was getting concerning how much faith Aang had in people. 

Sokka went off with Suki and Kovah for a perimeter check of the island. While they walked they talked about their time together since Sokka arrived. He apologized (again) for how sexist he’d been when he first came and then thanked them (again) for all they taught him. 

They hugged, and Sokka watched as something black landing on his nose. 

Black snow. 

The Fire Nation had attacked from the back. 

The three teens ran back around to Katara, Aang, and the rest of the Warriors. Aang whistled for Appa, and everyone jumped into action. 

Luckily, Zhao didn’t take so many of his soldiers onto the land. But he had brought himself. Everyone faced off against about two soldiers, but Beyin and Suki ganged up on Zhao. 

Everything was going fine until Beyin cried out in pain. Sokka looked her way, and she was on the floor holding her arm with Suki standing in a defensive position in front of her. Zhao’s face was twisted into a disgustingly evil sneer, as he raised his hands and called fire to them. Before could yell out, a figure of black kicked Zhao’s sneer right off his face. Literally. 

The figure landed gracefully, and although he was dressed in all black and had a few black bags strapped to their back, Sokka could tell they were tense. 

Then the figure turned to look at Sokka, and they were wearing a bizarre-looking blue and white mask, with a grin that was a little more unnerving than Zhao’s. 

Speaking of Zhao…

The Admiral threw a ball of fire straight at the masked figure, but it completely veered off course. The latter of the two then whipped out two dao swords and balanced them in his hands. Then the dude _swung._ They went after Zhao with fury. Sokka had to look away from the insane sight to help his sister and Aang with some other soldiers.

A shadow passed over him as Aang yelled, “Appa!” 

Reinforcements were handy, especially when they were a ten-ton bison and a black-clad masked person who moved like a spirit from those stories old people told for fun. 

Appa landed and kicked five soldiers out of his way, which left Zhao and his two firebending lackeys. The Kyoshi Warriors took on the latter, and Mask-dude was kicking Zhao’s _ass._ Maybe a bit too hard. Looks like they really hated Zhao. 

What a relatable feeling. 

“Sokka! Come on!” Katara called out from Appa’s back, which apparently she had climbed. 

Sokka looked back as he ran towards the bison. Mask looked at him. Somehow Sokka felt like his soul was being stared into despite the mask having hollow eyes. 

Mask turned back to their opponent and grabbed onto his shoulders, making an opening for a nice swift kick to Admiral Zhao’s groin. 

Sokka didn’t think there were curses he didn’t know, but they were said. Loudly. 

Mask ran over to the other firebenders, as the Admiral was… incapacitated, and weaved their way between the Warriors. The two firebenders threw a synchronized attack of fireballs, but as Mask outstretched their arms, the attacks were thrown right back in their faces. 

Then Mask turned on their heel and _bolted_ for Appa, leaving The Kyoshi Warriors to finish disarming and holding down the firebenders. Admiral Zhao, having regained his bearings, chased after them. 

Mask leapt onto Appa’s fur but started to slip. 

“Grab my hand!” yelled Sokka.

Mask clasped his forearm, and Sokka pulled them up. They flipped over onto their back and Appa took off. Zhao stared at the bison, then retreated toward where his ships were. The two firebenders were tied and bound by the Kyoshi Warriors, and Sokka instructed Aang to keep Appa low. 

“Do you guys want a ride? Do you need any help—“ 

“Sokka!” Suki cried, “We are fine! Go! Now!” 

“But—“ 

“We won this battle Sokka, just go! We’ll meet again!” 

Sokka felt his lip quiver, but turned and gave Aang the nod. 

Appa took off. 

Mask coughed in surprise at the jerky movements Appa made, then violently tore off his mask and gulped in breaths of air. 

Dark hair was plastered across his face, and when he looked up, familiar golden eyes greeted Sokka. 

“Hello... Lee here.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DID NOT EXPECT TO WRITE THIS MUCH AHHH uhm at least the next couple chapters should be easy-going since I just have to maneuver Zuko into season 1 episodes...
> 
> Zuko had to leave Kyoshi Island behind... because he and Suki are best friends... and they're both pretty... there just... can't be two pretty best friends. I ain't neva seen it. They had to split. 
> 
> Iroh: What if I told you that you got Avatar blood hmm?  
> Zuko: fuck I would've fought against my father for like 10 minutes with a turtleduck and now you're telling me that Aang is deadass my pops? Chile lemme get my spirit mask-
> 
> bro imagine you're Sokka and your sister tells you to spy on the cute firebender who bakes cookies for school-children in his free time... I'd agree too tf
> 
> not me changing the chapter titles again... whoops  
> I'm sorry this took a while to put out! I got into therapy and stuff so I've been a mess emotionally, plus school is a motherfucker as always. 
> 
> akutaq is an Inuit ice cream type of thing... it's super good trust me you'd be asking for it like those SWT kids lol 
> 
> anyway love you guys... stay safe wherever you are! kudos and comments are deeply appreciated! (PS: if you have questions about characters or need something explained I will respond to your comment lol I know the curse of curiosity)  
> Edit: those issues with the first upload are fixed, I am so sorry they happened!!


	5. Why Are There So Many Weird Old People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet King Bumi, break out Earthbenders from prison, and go to your great-grandfather's temple! Fun for the whole family!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wassup i impulsively got rid of bolded POVs cuz i thought it looked chunky whoops  
> now it's like a lil fun guessing game... who is having the thoughts............
> 
> yalls comments are too sweet. yall are the reason I write the next chapter, yknow? the second I see a notification I open my doc and work on the fic a lil more, comments are pure motivation for me. 
> 
> Small fun fact about me: I don't plan out fics, I usually write them on a whim, and the reason for that is- I'm a maladaptive daydreamer- most of the concepts that come to me during those episodes give me inspo for plot points and lines in my fic. And considering my brain forces me to act these things out, I think writing them down and sharing with others helps me gain much more from it. Because I mean, if people are enjoying and commenting on my daydreams that literally hinder and embarrass me every day of my life, maybe they aren't so bad! (Look up maladaptive daydreaming when you get the chance, it's quite a strange thing to experience) 
> 
> sorry this took a while tho, I started therapy AND got braces. I now have a lisp (which really fucking adds to the whole kinning Zuko thing, I mean, come on). things happen :/
> 
> also sorry I spent so long on the Kyoshi "arc", I just wanted to introduce all the minor OCs and get yall used to Zuko's current mindset in this AU before starting his main interactions and things. You may want to go back and reread chapters at some point because I often go back and change small lines, and a lot of mentioned things could come back to smack you... aggressively, if all goes according to plan >:)
> 
> A quick thing about this chapter- I'm mixed... I have complicated feelings towards my white side and my Hispanic side so I had no idea how to write stuff like this... tackling guilt and the concept of being the victim because I truly let myself become numb to feeling guilty/angry/sad about racial issues and how to past affects POC today because I (myself) never know what to feel. Ever. I swear being mixed is like having a constant identity crisis. I hope I conveyed the guilt of knowing your history/being a victim in history well, please please PLEASE let me know if something is offensive and/or plain wrong. I tried my absolute best to get into the mindset of a Zuko that has spent years around people who would despise him if they knew his nationality/family line, and what that might do to a person's sense of pride. Feel free to tell me how I did.
> 
> also I hope you guys like longer notes, I find them fun and an easy way to interact with you all :)
> 
> ALRIGHT KIDDOS BEFORE WE START, REMEMBER TO GETCHA SELF SOME WATER, A SNACK, AND A NICE BLANKET AND LET'S GET INTO ITTTTT

Sokka groaned and dragged a hand down his face.

“I should’ve known it was you.” 

Lee’s eyes widened. “I— was it that obvious?!” 

“I didn’t notice,” Katara furrowed her eyebrows, “But Aang probably did.” 

“I did!” Aang yelled from Appa’s head, “Figured it out when you fire-bent back at those guys! Keep going straight, buddy,” he rubbed Appa’s fur and bounded over to Lee, who looked a little freaked out at Appa’s low groan. 

The airbender excitedly wrapped his arms around Lee, who looked somewhat uncomfortable with the sudden hug. 

“I knew you’d come through!” Aang exclaimed, “Sokka said you made up your mind, but I-”

“I did,” Lee pushed Aang off gently, “I made up my mind to come and teach you.”

“Didn’t sound like it,” Sokka mumbled, “I thought you meant you made up your mind about not coming.” 

Lee shrugged. After a moment of fiddling with his hands, he turned and asked Sokka, “Do you think Suki recognized me?” 

Sokka grimaced. “Probably. Sorry dude.” 

Lee just sighed and took off his shoulder bags, stuffing his mask in one of them.

“So… Lee…” Katara spoke, “Why’d you change your mind?” 

“Well, I figured since my Uncle’s away safely, and I have the mask, I might be able to safely still hide away from the Fire Nation while aiding you guys.” 

“Why’d you get so freaked out over Admiral Zhao anyway?” Sokka blurted, instantly regretting it when Lee’s expression went sour, “I mean… you kinda already knew his name and stuff, I was just wondering-”

Lee sharply exhaled, “Firebenders are kept track of by the Fire Nation. You can’t just… be a firebender without them taking you into the military. My Uncle is a firebender, and he was a part of the military. I was… he was able to get the both of us away before I could be enlisted, but I still know Zhao’s bad news. And he’s been promoted to Admiral now it seems. He used to be ranked at commander.” 

“Like that’s not suspicious to know at all…” Katara rolled her eyes. 

“I just told you, if you’re a firebender you are bound to have some knowledge of the military, okay? It’s not suspicious!”

“Yeah, sure-”

“No, Katara wait,” Sokka held his hand up, “This is good. Knowledge is power, dear sister!” 

“What does that have to-” 

“Think about it! An enemy on our side with knowledge of the Fire Nation’s military structure!” 

“I’m not an enemy!” Lee exclaimed as Aang yelled, “He’s not our enemy!” 

“Sorry,” Sokka acknowledged his slip, “You aren’t but... you get the point, right?” 

“Yeah, I guess,” Katara said, her eyes no longer narrowed at Lee. “Welcome to the team.” She said. 

Lee looked relieved, but still out of his element (Ha!). 

Aang grinned. “So, when are we starting firebending training?!” 

“Well,” Lee sighed, “Firebending is… well it’s dangerous so we probably shouldn’t do it on…” 

“Appa,” Aang nodded. 

“Right, um, but besides the setting, I’m not sure starting training now is the best idea… it’s not all just throwing around fire, there are meditations and breathing exercises involved… and according to the Avatar cycle, wouldn't firebending be the last element you learn?” 

“How did you know the Avatar learns according to the cycle?”

“Um,” Lee scratched his arm uncomfortably, “I’ve read… studied things… it’s public information. Point is, I think it’d be best for you to start waterbending training first.” 

Aang flopped backward and groaned, “But… well, how long did it take you to master firebending?” 

“Oh, well I was a... special case,” Lee grumbled, “I was… held back a bit, but my Uncle named me a master just before I turned fifteen. But since you’re the Avatar, I don’t think you’ll take that long.” 

“How’d you practice if you were hiding the fact that you were a firebender?” Sokka said, once again letting his thoughts slip right through his mouth. 

“There was this meadow, covered by a forest, that I trained in, and my Uncle oversaw it. There was this big rock we used to meditate on… I actually got named a master on that rock as well,” Lee smiled, soft and fond like he saw the memory in his head. 

_He really should smile more often,_ Sokka thought, then shook his head. 

Aang smiled at Lee and shrugged. “Well, anyway, we’ve got time. You are in charge, Sifu Hotman! I’ll learn waterbending first. To the Northern Water Tribe we go!”

Lee turned to Sokka, bewildered. 

_What did he just call me?_ Lee mouthed. 

_I have no clue,_ Sokka mouthed back. 

“Oh, but we totally have to make a stop on the way there!” Aang called from Appa’s head. 

“Where?” Katara asked. 

“The city of Omashu!” 

Sokka and Lee turned to each other again. They both shrugged. 

* * *

Turns out Omashu was a large, walled city in the Earth Kingdom, governed by a king (which was weird, considering the Earth Kingdom… had a king already…), where apparently one of Aang’s old friends from a hundred years ago used to live. 

When the guards at the front kicked a shrill-voiced cabbage merchant away from the city, Zuko’s first thought was _there’s no way we are getting in there._

Then Aang made up a name that Zuko couldn’t remember even if he tried and got them all in. The airbender then convinced all of them to go sliding down the mail chutes (which Zuko actually found cool… he’d never seen Earthbending used in that way…) but as most things do, it ended quite badly. How that cabbage merchant got there, he had no clue. 

They all got arrested and Zuko cursed himself for not keeping his mask on his person. He’d left it and his bags on Appa. He had his swords though, but with the earth cuffs binding his arms they weren’t much help. 

Apparently, in Omashu, a destruction of property arrest was enough for an audience with the king himself. Zuko stayed silent, mostly just racking his brain for a word to describe the way the King looked at Aang. 

Zuko was only snapped out of his thoughts when the King led them to a room for a feast. This whole time Zuko had said nothing, and Sokka was starting to shoot him weird looks. Although, he did audibly groan when the other teen laughed at a shitty joke the king told. 

Whatever calm Zuko felt was immediately broken when Aang accidentally air-bent a piece of food that the old man threw at him and the relaxed atmosphere was wiped away. 

The old king declared Aang compete in three challenges to free all of them from jail. 

It was at that point Zuko could only think _what the actual fuck?_

Because if the King wanted the Avatar, why would he create challenges? None of it made sense. 

Especially the way Sokka, Katara, and Aang were all thrown into one cell while Zuko was put into his own. He prayed the King didn’t assume he was a firebender because of his eyes, but knowing Zuko’s luck, that was probably the case.

He prowled his cell, looking for weak points. 

* * *

_“Here, in case you ever get in trouble during your travels with the Avatar,” Uncle said, outstretching his palm._

_“Uncle,” Zuko said, annoyed, “That is a pai-sho tile. I doubt that will get me out of trouble.”_

_Uncle hummed, gesturing for Zuko to take the tile. Upon further inspection, it was a lotus tile… but it had a strange insignia on it that Zuko was unaware existed._

_The teen opened his mouth, but Iroh put his hand up. “I cannot answer any questions about this. Just keep it on your person. If you meet any elderly people you think are friends or foe, show this to them. There are eccentric people like your old Uncle all across the world. Show them this tile, and may offer you an allyship on behalf of the Grand Lotus.”_

_“... Uncle I seriously can’t tell if you’re speaking in a metaphor or something- that was way too bizarre.”_

_Uncle Iroh just laughed, his whole body shaking._

_“Oh, Zuko, I will truly miss you. But there’s always a semblance of truth hidden within the bizarre.”_

* * *

Zuko fished the tile out of his pocket. He waited. 

The King came by to speak with him, just as Zuko predicted he would. He shoved the tile in the King’s face before he could start spewing his nonsensical riddles. 

“Do you recognize this insignia?!” 

He cackled, and Zuko tried to hide his budding temper. 

“Do you, my young friend?” 

“I- I’m not your friend!” 

“Oh, but isn’t that why you showed me the Lotus tile?” he asked, cocking his head to the side, like a curious pig-chicken. 

“... If I’m being honest, your Majesty, I’m not sure of the meaning myself. I was hoping you could tell me.” 

The King seemed to cackle at everything. “I suppose we can still be friends, even if you are clueless! If the Grand Lotus trusts you enough to give you a tile, you must be quite the young man.” 

“... Is my Uncle this ‘Grand Lotus’?” 

“Ah, I thought I recognized the eyes! How strange, I’ve imprisoned his precious nephew, Prince Zuko… ah, you don’t suppose he will be mad, will he?” 

“ _Don’t_ call me that!” 

He startled, but the wide, mischievous grin never left his face. “Oh, what shall I call you then?” 

“... Lee. I am not a prince, and everyone knows me as Lee. Now, will you tell me what this whole tile and ‘Grand Lotus’ thing is about?!” 

“Ah… well, it means you are a friend, of course. Although, since the Grand Lotus made the decision not to tell you even that… I suppose I shall not reveal any more.” 

Zuko growled, but his shoulders slumped in resignation. “Can you at least tell me what you are going to do to my- to Sokka, Katara, and Aang?” 

“Oh of course! Although if I tell you, you must stay down here while Aang completes the challenges, I can’t have you ruining the fun!” 

“I’m fine with that, as long as we all come out safe.”

“Oh yes, of course!” He exclaimed, “I have no intention of harming anybody! All these challenges are an old man’s attempt at trying to reconcile with an old friend you see…”

_An old friend…?_

* * *

Before they all left Omashu, King Bumi called Zuko for a talk. 

“I suggest you not show that tile to every old man you see,” He warned, “Do not show it to your friends either… I trust a friend to keep a secret, yes?”

“Of course, sir… not that I could actually explain it to them… I still have no idea what it means…” 

“What does anything mean?” Bumi pondered, then cackled loudly. He stood and dusted off his green robes. 

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, Lee, I have a friend waiting for a goodbye. And a ride down the greatest mail system in the world!” 

Zuko bowed, but let himself have a small smile. Aang and Bumi were quite the pair of old friends. 

* * *

The last thing Zuko wanted to hear was the sounds of earthbending near their camp. He knew the others wouldn’t leave it alone. The young firebender sighed and slipped his mask on and pursed them, glad Sokka had enough sense to at least be wary, but miffed that Katara and Aang just tried to introduce themselves. 

The earthbender ran away, which Zuko was secretly glad for. One less social interaction. 

But of course, Katara and Aang went to go investigate. 

They learned that the bender’s name was Haru, and he ran away because of the dangers of being an earthbender in a Fire Nation occupied town. The punishment was being sent to a rig. 

Zuko did not take off his mask for the rest of the day. 

Sokka grumbled as Katara and Haru went out, and so did Aang, but his tone sounded less grumpy and more jealous. 

“Does Aang have a…” Zuko whispered to Sokka as the sun went down. 

“A what?” 

“.... You know… for Katara?”

Sokka nodded. “Yeah. He’s got it pretty bad.” 

Zuko grimaced under the mask, falling silent again. 

* * *

Some old man that Haru and Katara saved ratted out Haru. Great. 

Sokka agreed to a plan that would have Katara infiltrate the rig as an earthbender to save Haru. He told Zuko to go down with his mask (which he hadn't taken off) to scout the rig, as well as protect Katara in case of an emergency. With a simple nod, he went off, sneaking onto the ship Katara was being taken to the floating rig on. 

Zuko watched. And watched. Watched the earthbenders be unresponsive to any means of energy or hope. He watched as Katara did her best to inspire them. It didn’t work. 

For as much as Katara doted on others, Zuko could recognize that she was just as naive as any other child during a war. It was a good quality, of course, it certainly helped to feel hope in the direst of situations. But war was meant to break people. No one came out of a war a winner, just a survivor. 

Zuko thought Katara had the heart of a survivor. Not only that, but a fighter. He didn’t know what he considered himself to be, and he certainly didn’t even dare to think as far ahead as a final battle where his own father would either survive or break. 

Because he wasn’t sure he was okay with either option. He wanted peace, he wanted his father’s love. He wanted to feel loved, and he wanted to fight. He wanted to _survive._

It all felt out of reach. And some of those options weren’t even really there in the first place. 

It was his own family that was keeping it out of _everyone’s_ reach. And he wanted, so badly, to fix it, to take responsibility. But… he didn’t know how. How does one hold the weight of millions upon millions of deaths, bearing the thought of the long-overdue rebuilding of years of destruction, upon their shoulders without crumbling? 

And that’s what Zuko _hated_ himself for. He wasn’t strong enough. He was a coward, a traitor, and a liar.

But… at least he knew he had to survive being all of those things, or else nothing would ever get better. Not himself, not his nation, and certainly not the people that had been hurt by them. 

He sat and watched. 

And he smiled when the people on the rig finally decided to fight back. 

While the chaos settled and all the prisoners boarded stolen ships to escape on, Zuko did a final surveillance round on the rig, checking for any prisoners who were injured or left behind, taking the extra step in looking for heat signatures.

He stepped on something assumed was a pebble, but he looked down and saw the necklace that Katara wore. He picked it up and pocketed it. 

After a final look, he jumped onto one of the last ships and hid in the shadows until they hit land. 

Zuko stared and swayed awkwardly as he watched families be united with their formerly imprisoned loved ones. He watched Katara barrel into Aang and Sokka, and she was crying. He couldn’t hear them even if he wanted to, because of his ear, but Sokka looked sad and kept pulling his sister into reassuring hugs. Shouldn’t he be happy she was back? What was he missing here…

But he let them have their space. 

* * *

“Here Katara! I made you this necklace to replace your old one!” 

Zuko turned his attention to Aang, who was handing a braided flower necklace to Katara. 

_Oh fuck._

“What did your old one look like?” Zuko asked, keeping the tremble out of his voice. 

Katara smiled sadly at Aang and thanked him, clasping the flower necklace around her neck. 

“It was blue, a water tribe symbol… it was my mother’s…” 

_Zuko, you fucking idiot…_

“I’m sure we’ll find it, Katara,” Aang tried to reassure. 

“How will we-“

“Uhm,” Zuko coughed awkwardly. He fished the necklace out of his pocket. “Here?” 

Sokka gaped, and Aang looked at Katara with a grin. Katara stalked up to Zuko and snatched her necklace. Zuko failed to suppress a flinch, but at least she got her necklace back…

With a tight expression, she clasped her blue necklace over the flower one. 

“Why’d you keep it?” She said, voice quiet. 

_Oh Agni no, I much prefer yelling to this—_

“I— I forgot that I had it…” He whispered. 

“This is my mother’s necklace,” she said, putting a hand over the water charm, “Want to know how my mother died?” 

She didn’t wait for an answer. 

“She was killed. Killed by the Fire Nation. In a raid. They— your kind took my mother away from me!” 

Zuko didn’t dare speak. He knew better. She just needed to get her anger out, and he was an easy target. 

“... Thank you for picking it up.” 

Katara turned back around and stomped off. 

Zuko tried his best not to think. 

“I’ll go talk to her—“ Sokka started to get up.

“No… you don’t need to—“

“No, I do,” Sokka said, “You aren’t even really from the Fire Nation, dude. You didn’t deserve that.”

Zuko’s heart _shattered_ . Sokka didn’t even know… he didn’t even know how much Zuko _did_ deserve that. His entire bloodline deserved that and so much more...

He let Sokka go to his sister. 

He let Katara apologize for her outburst. 

Zuko didn’t sleep. 

* * *

The blackened forest just made Zuko disappointed. He was so tired of destruction… and seriously, what was the point of burning trees down? What are they going to do, commit treason?

At least the acorns that Katara showed Aang made the kid feel better. An upset Aang made Zuko’s chest feel uncomfortable. 

A few villagers find them and, once noticing Aang was the Avatar, asked him to help with a local terrorizing spirit. Aang, happy for this newfound purpose, agreed. 

Aang confronts the spirit at sunset. Sokka goes after him. They both don’t come back. 

Zuko feels the fire return to him as his worry for the two boys overtakes his common sense. He slung his bag over his shoulder, but found himself being held back by Katara. 

“Lee, stop.” 

“I have to go after them,” he insisted. 

“No!” Katara yelled. “Listen, I know I haven’t been the nicest to you, but I won’t let you disappear like they did!” 

“Katara-”

“No, you’re the only one left. I- I don’t want to be alone.” 

Zuko took a deep breath. “Listen… I know you think there’s a possibility Sokka is gone… but what attacked them was a spirit. If anything, they were taken to the spirit world. My Uncle told me the spirit world mixes with our world. Aang himself is a tether because he’s the Avatar, so his body is here, but I’m worried about Sokka. I can try to connect with him, be his tether to the physical world, but there’s no way I’m leaving them out there, alone, without something real they can see.” 

“You think they’re wandering on our world?” 

“Aang might be, though I’m not sure where his body is,” Zuko rubbed his chin, “But again, I’m worried about Sokka if his spirit got separated from Aang. Or worse, if they spirit attached itself to him.”

“What would that mean?!” 

Zuko shrugged, “I dunno, the spirit would have to die to disconnect it? My Uncle was super into this stuff… I probably should’ve listened more often when he talked…” 

“Well, since I’m Sokka’s sister, why don’t I go look for him?”

“No,” Zuko sighed, “These villagers need you… you’re pretty okay at the whole… comforting, talking thing. I would probably drop their morale.”

Katara snorted. “Fine. If you see any spirits, go the opposite way. Unless it’s Aang or Sokka, of course.And I _will_ be going after you if you aren’t back by this time tomorrow.”

“Of course.” 

And he was off. He stayed in the trees, as he had noticed that this spirit only created destruction on the ground. 

Daylight came, and he still hadn’t found anything besides trails that the spirit had left in it’s destruction. 

Suddenly a loud whistle of wind made Zuko’s awareness shoot up. He looked up where the noise had come from, and saw a blue transparent… dragon?! 

What was a dragon doing here-?!

Zuko checked if the creature had a heat signature. It didn’t. What it did have, however, was the blue form of an airbender on it’s back. 

He called Aang’s name, but with the dragon flying farther and farther away, he was left unheard. Zuko began to book it back to the village, ready to report the sighting, but by the time he got back, the angry spirit returned to the front of the forest. Zuko watched safely in the trees as Aang calmed the spirit, making it turn into a… panda? 

Zuko jumped down from his trees in time for all the people that the panda spirit took to return. He looked around desperately for Sokka. 

“LEE!” 

The young firebender whipped around and couldn’t control his grin at the sight of his friend. 

“You’re okay!” He exclaimed, bringing a hand to Sokka’s bicep, just to check if he was _actually there._

“Yeah, I’m fine-” He was cut off by Katara, who had been hugging Aang and mumbling words of pride towards the kid, tackling him in a fierce hug.

“Where were you?!” She asked, also not containing her grin, “Lee was so worried about you I thought he was going to burn something down!”

Both boys flushed momentarily. 

“I think the spirit world? All I know is that I really have to pee… there aren’t any bathrooms in the spirit world!

* * *

“So, where are we going now?” 

“Well… I met this… dragon named Fang. I need to go meet Roku at his temple… in the Fire Nation. By sunset tomorrow.” 

Lee made a surprised noise. More of a squeak. “The Fire Nation?! R-Roku… told you to go there?!”

“Yup,” Aang said, popping the ‘p’. “Something about the solstice being tomorrow.”

Lee opened his mouth but closed it. Sokka could tell he wanted to say something. 

“That’s… going to be really dangerous,” He settled on. Sokka snorted, “Yeah, no shit,” 

Katara chastised him for cursing while Lee slapped his leg in mock-offense. 

“We’ll be fine,” Aang encouraged, “It’ll just be like meeting an old friend!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zuko stop feeling bad about lying/lying challenge
> 
> Being endlessly confused about King Bumi's entire existence isn't just a thought, it's a state of mind. Also, Zuko gets to see Fang because I Said So. Our boy is dragon sensitive. If there's a dragon, he will see it. 
> 
> BTW YALL CANNOT TELL ME LITTLE DARK AGE BY MGMT WASN'T MADE FOR ZUKO..... "painted with a scar" " policeman swear to god, love's seeping from their guns" "forgiving who you are for what you stand to gain" "all limits of disguise" "burn the page" LIKE WHATAKJSKSHL HELLO??? IT'S HIM IT'S HIS ANTHEM!!!!
> 
> *Zuko thinking he's an average ass firebender who didn't learn quick enough* also Zuko- *knows how to generate literal fucking dragon's fire* *has met dragons* *breathes fire*
> 
> I think becoming a "master" at something in the Avatar universe is just another master telling you "Yeah, ur a master bruh" and that's the process lmao
> 
> alright, I need your thoughts on this: by some miracle, if I set out to finish this fic in its entirely (which, in sense of Avatar episodes it would be from 'The Warriors of Kyoshi' to 'Sozin's Comet' plus an epilogue...) would you guys be cool if I split it by seasons? We're in season 1 right now, so that was just my thought since my doc is on its... 50th page at this point in SEASON ONE... I feel like making it a series would be more organized. Feel free to express your opinions in the comments :)
> 
> anyway, I hope all of you know you are loved, overwhelmingly, by some rando writing avatar fanfiction. stay safe.


	6. Zhao? More Like: Fucking Loser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Spirit strikes again. And by "strikes again" we mean "strikes another blow into Zhao's inflated ego".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect to write this as soon as I did but whoops ur comments made me too excited 
> 
> Btw if y'all ever think I should include a warning before a chapter because of the content within please let me know. This fic shouldn't include anything other than canon-typical violence/cursing. At some point, there may be some "whump" but idk... that's in a while I think? and it shouldn't be that bad so... idk I just want this fic to be a safe place for y'all 
> 
> thanks for the feedback on the last chapter on the chapter/series/season dilemma...................................... I hope I do actually finish this fic to the end. I know it will be tough... I've never finished a long fic... I'm praying I don't orphan or delete it or just drop it in general because I know what I have is good I just know it but sometimes the lack of motivation just swallows you up. I don't want to be one of those authors who takes years to finish, but I don't want to be one who drops their fics either, ya know? and I write these for free, so, they can't be my first priority but I desperately want to accomplish something... and if the thing I accomplish happens to be a crappy AO3 fic then so be it, I'll be happy! 
> 
> okay, enough sentimental crap now. I find it annoying. go get urself some water, a snack, a blanket, and lets rock and roll buckaroo~

“Uh… why are there so many boats down there?” 

Zuko approached Katara from behind and saw what she was ahead at. 

_Oh no._

“Barricade,” he scoffed, “Aang, get Appa higher.” 

“Sure! But uh, there aren’t any clouds for cover…” 

_Shit._

Zuko looked as far as he could see, but the line of high-class boats seemed endless. “Can’t we wait until it disperses?” 

Aang shook his head. “I’m on a time limit! We have to go through it.” 

“Those are high-class ships. There’s no way we’ll make it-”

“We have to!” Aang insisted, “I have to receive Roku’s message.”

Every time Aang said the name ‘Roku’ Zuko’s head wanted to explode. He still hadn’t processed the fact that one of his great-grandfathers had been the Avatar, much less processed that he was going into his temple. 

“Fine… Sokka, get on the reins. Aang, you and I have some work to do.” 

“What kind of work?” Aang asked, detangling himself from Appa’s reins and handing them over to Sokka. 

“The kind of work that will prevent us from being blasted out of the sky,” Zuko deadpanned, “Stand on the left. I’ll bend the flames away, you blow the rock away, alright?” 

“Rock?!” 

Zuko opened his bag and pulled out his mask and gloves, putting on the mask but hiding the gloves away in his pocket. “Yes, rock. By the looks of it, those ships should have catapults. Their ammunition is usually rock coated in a flammable solution. Sokka, you’re on dodging duty!” 

“What about me?” Katara asked. 

“You need to be on standby. You know some waterbending, yeah?” 

She nodded. 

“Well,” Zuko inhaled, “You’re our best bet if we go careening into the ocean.” 

Katara’s eyes widened, but she quickly settled in determination and went to her post. 

“Everyone ready?” 

Sokka and Katara shot him a thumbs-up. 

“Aang… you ready?” Zuko asked, concerned. The Avatar looked pretty shaky. 

“Yeah… yeah, I’m ready,” He replied.

Zuko nodded. “Okay… Sokka, go as fast as you can!” 

“Alright, here we go!”

The firebender crouched down as Appa gained speed, trying not to lose balance. 

“Incoming!” Sokka yelled. 

The first volley was fired. Zuko sprung into action, taking soaking up the fire from the cannonballs that came close to the air bison and redirecting them to the open air, letting the fire fizzle out, then moving out of the way onto the next so Aang had room to push them away with airbending. 

This went on, the pair only getting breaks when the ships had to reload. During one of these intervals, Zuko checked Aang, who looked green. The teen had noticed the Avatar looking nervous the whole day, but he could now start to see the effect it was having on the boy’s energy. And the kid was supposed to visit a Fire Nation temple soon, who knew how many enemies would be lurking in there. Aang didn’t need this exertion right now. 

“This isn’t working!” Zuko yelled to Sokka, “We need a new plan!” 

“What? Why?!” Katara demanded. 

“A- We’ll get worn out. We aren’t even past the barricade yet!” 

Aang panted next to him but said nothing. That confirmed Zuko’s observation. 

He turned his attention to Sokka, who was patting out a part of Appa’s fur that had started to smoke. Then he froze and turned to Zuko. 

“You got a plan?” Zuko said, grinning underneath his mask. 

Sokka grinned back. “You know it. Where’s Momo?” 

“Here,” Katara said, handing the clueless lemur to her brother. Sokka searched with his hands for a second and came up with handfuls of Appa’s shed hair. The boy pushed it into Momo’s grubby arms and had a silent conversation with the animal. Zuko knew better than to question it. 

“Alright, here’s the plan,” He shouted, “Momo’s gonna fly in zigzags with Appa’s hair. Lee, you gotta set it on fire in a way that will bring out a lot of smoke. It should catch Zhao’s attention so that he stops looking at us… but…” 

“But what?” Katara ordered. 

“We have to distract Zhao somehow! I don’t know how…” 

“I’ll do it,” Zuko volunteered. 

The group stared at him. Momo chirped. 

“I-I can mess with the ship, maybe it could slow him down. See that ship in the middle?” He pointed, “That’s Zhao’s, it’s the flashiest. I mess with the command ship, the rest of the barricade will cater to it. Just… swoop down low and I’ll drop down onto it, hopefully, the damage will turn the attention away from you guys and when they all look back up they’ll only see Momo’s smoke!” 

“That’s insane! We can’t leave you down there!” Aang protested. Zuko put his hand up. 

“What other option do we have?” He said, “You _need_ to see Roku.” 

“But how will we get you back?” Katara demanded. 

“What?! I’ll- I’ll figure something out, okay? If anything I’ll just hitch a ride with Zhao, he’s chasing you guys anyway.”

“Lee… this is way too dangerous-” Katara started. Zuko interrupted her. 

“I don’t see why you guys are so worried! If it needs to be done-” 

“But we care about you!” Aang exclaimed, “What if you get hurt?!” 

Zuko gaped behind his mask, “Wh- I don’t-” 

“You’re apart of the team, Lee. We don’t lose members of the team,” Sokka urged.

Oh.

_Oh._

Sometimes, it was cruel how much people cared.

“I… th-thank you… but I’m willing to do this. For… for the team,” he said, hoping it was enough to convince them.

Aang clenched his fists and shut his eyes. He turned to Zuko. 

“You’re going to come back,” He stated. With a nod, a smile was back on his face. Zuko felt momentarily startled but nodded back. 

“... Okay,” He said, “Wait for the next volley before lowering.” 

Everyone went back to their respective positions, and on cue, the cannons sprung into action. Zuko and Aang took care of it, and Zuko barely got a warning before Appa dipped. Momo bounded over to him, and Zuko quickly gave the stack of hefty fur a spark. 

As soon as he was close enough to Zhao’s ship, he waited for the crewmen to scatter in fear of the air bison. Once he was sure no one was particularly worried about anything other than the large beast dropping out of the sky, Zuko took his leap of faith and rolled onto the deck. He watched the bison retreat to the skies as he slinked into the shadows of the ship. 

Zhao’s shrieks of displeasure forced him to take a moment to breathe. 

“The damn creature came down here and no one thought to attack it?! You all are worthless! How much longer until the catapult is ready for another volley?!” He roared. 

“One minute sir!” 

“They’ll be within the middle of the barricade by then… move quickly!” 

“Yes sir!” 

Zuko felt around his pockets and pulled out his gloves, slipping them on before concentrating on heat signatures within the ship. 

He had a few options. Destroy the coal engine, burst the stabilizing pipes, straight up try to break the catapult… 

The firebender decided on the coal engine. It wouldn’t sink the ship and endanger too many lives, but it would stop the ship from moving any faster than an elephant-rhino, which would warrant immediate repairs. 

The large ship was easy to sneak around. It was eerily similar to the _Wani,_ but of course, it was decades advanced and plated. Anything for Admiral Zhao. 

And jack-shit for the literal Prince of the Fire Nation. Not that Zuko _cared,_ but… it still hurt a little. He didn’t think of himself as a prince anymore, really, but sometimes he thought about what he would be like if he’d been what his father wanted. If he hadn’t been such a disappointment, he was sure to be a spoiled brat with an ego that didn’t look like a crushed grape, as it did now. And sure, maybe at some point in time, he had been a spoiled brat, but the Firelord never truly valued his son in any way that mattered, so he was a spoiled brat without any real enablers. Which, honestly, felt like an oxymoron, but that’s just how it used to be. 

As Zuko slinked through the hallways of the ship he tried to shift his thoughts about the _Wani_ to his old crew. He didn’t treat them as nice as he could’ve. Well, that was an understatement. He treated them like shit, except for two times. Once, when the ship was almost drowned by a storm, and when he let them go. It was after Zuko and Iroh abandoned ship that Uncle told him the crew had been outcasts and people who had committed minor cases of treason, and of course Zuko had huffed and puffed in indignation. He had thanked them all for their help and loyalty when really they were all just lowlifes with a need to get paid. Now, of course, Zuko knew not to judge people by their ambitions. He really was never in a place to do so, anyway. 

He wondered where they were now. When Iroh told them they were being let go they all grumbled about money and being out of a job, but Uncle gave them enough of a sum to hold them over. Some of them traveled back to their families, Uncle had told him. Some of them looked for jobs the way a bounty hunter would. And some were just happy to disappear. Understandable. 

As the teen started to smell the familiar scent of coal waft through his mask, he rubbed his head. It always hurts. Zuko had his own crew once, and they weren’t _bad_ people. He wondered if Zhao’s crew (however many of them he had) was all that horrible, really. Most of them were probably drafted and just happened to be good at sailing. They didn’t ask for this. Nobody did. And Zuko knew his inability to see them as true enemies would slow him down, and his refusal to side with them only makes him that much more of a traitor, but he wondered where the line blurred. How do you start a war and continue it without damaging your own country? How could one country decide they were given the right to destroy other nations? It was an endless cycle of hypocrisy, and Zuko felt like he’d been teetering the line for his whole adolescent life. Would it ever end? And if it ended, what was everyone’s new purpose? How quickly can peace be made? How _peacefully_ can peace be made? Because it was obviously broken easier than a teacup made of fine ceramic. 

Maybe Zuko had just spent too much time in the political philosophy unit of his palace tutoring. 

The engine room was unguarded. Thank Agni. 

Zuko approached one of the large engines and cast his hand out in front of him, swiping his glove off in one motion. With one breath, he put as much firepower as he could into the palm of his hand and pushed. The engine roared and then sputtered from the overexertion. He slipped his glove back on and sunk back into the shadows, listening for the rumble of footsteps. Eventually, they came, and Zuko pulled himself up into the exposed pipes on the ceiling of the engine room. He used to hide from Uncle like this, on the _Wani._

Once, Litenuent Jee found him. The man had sighed and called him a ‘spider-fly looking bastard’. Zuko answered back in newly-learned profanities.

A few crewmen came rushing into the engine room, panicking about the blasted engine. 

“What in Agni’s name is happening here?!” 

_Oh shit._

Zuko winced in sympathy as the members of the crew flinched and whipped around to face their Admiral. 

“S-sir! One of the engines was overpowered-” 

“Right now?! In the middle of a confrontation with the Avatar?!” 

“Y-yes, yes sir.” 

“And nobody was down here, watching it?!” Zhao hollered. 

“No sir,” A different crew member responded, “You requested all hands on deck and catapults-” 

“SHUT UP! I should fire and send you to the bottom of the ocean for your insolence! You two!” Zhao pointed at the burliest of the crew, “Tend to this! We cannot fix it on the water but… I don’t want to see any more damage done to this ship! The rest of you, back to the deck! This barricade follows my command, and with this busted engine there’s no way any of us are moving faster than that filthy sky bison.” 

_Yes!_

Zuko watched as Zhao and the other men left. He waited until he could no longer hear them to drop down and use the brunt of his swords to knock out the two men guarding the broken engine. He sheathed the dao and left the room without a sound. 

When he made it to the deck, he internally cackled at how easy it was to sneak around. Most decks of battleships like these had regulations about keeping the floor clear, but Zhao’s insistent need for extra supplies and ammunition crowded what was supposed to be an organized ship. Zuko hid behind some crates that he hoped were close enough to Zhao’s position for him to hear the man, even with one ear. Although, the Admiral yelled most of the time, so the young firebender didn’t think it’d be an issue. 

He peeked at Zhao’s expression, which was thankfully following a trail of dark smoke left by the Avatar’s lemur. The damn monkey had actually followed the plan! Zuko saw no air bison in sight. The teen leaned closer in when he saw Zhao’s mouth start to move. 

“... We will make landfall on Cresent Island,” Zhao relayed to the deck crew, “I can predict that with the Avatar’s beast shot and burning, they will stop for rest at the nearest convenience. In fact, I have concluded that Cresent Island is where they were heading in the first place! It is home to the past Avatar, the present one is bound to end up there! Set course for the Sage’s temple!” 

“Yes sir!” 

Zuko slid down the back of the crate in defeat. As far ahead as Appa would be, Zhao would still catch up to them on the island before the Solstice. 

This was bad. Zuko hated when plans failed, especially when he was so close! 

He sighed, hugging his knees. His gloved fingers brushed over a bump in his clothing. 

Uncle’s knife. ‘Never give up without a fight.’ 

Zuko drew his hands into fists. He couldn’t take down the other engines, he didn’t want the ship to sink! 

…

There weren’t really any other options, were there? The stabilizing pipes were already dangerous with the broken engine, and he was in the long-run towards Cresent Island, so he couldn’t reveal himself and break the catapult. The only other thing that came to mind was...

A duel Zhao couldn’t refuse. Not honorably. 

Agni Kai. 

* * *

_What am I thinking?_ Zuko thought to himself, letting his leg swing down from the ceiling pipes, _I can’t fight an Agni Kai…_

_Last time…_

_Last time…_

Last time was unfair. It was… it was dishonorable. This time, Zuko would fight, and he wouldn’t give up. 

So Zhao wanted to laugh at his loss back at the palace, huh? This was Zuko’s perfect chance for revenge. He couldn’t pass it up. If he did… it would count as giving up. 

A drawn-out fairly fought Agni Kai. The perfect distraction. 

Zuko would challenge the Admiral when the ship arrived at the temple. And this time? Zuko will win. This time he will succeed in protecting people. 

* * *

Zuko jumped down off the ship before they lowered the entry plank. He stood in anticipation. 

Zhao strode out next, followed by about ten to fifteen soldiers. His face morphed into a hateful contortion as he caught sight of Zuko’s masked form. 

“YOU!” He roared, pointing at Zuko rudely. “Apprehend him!” Zhao screeched at his guards. 

The teen extended his arms in a calm disposition. 

“Wait!” Zuko pleaded. It was weird to yell with his mask on. 

Zhao and his men looked taken aback at the fact that he revealed his voice. The Admiral recovered quickly and started to smile. Although, it was less of a smile and more of a sneer. 

“So, The Blue Spirit speaks! Well, I have no interest in speaking to a loathsome individual who humiliated me, so please, say your final words!”

‘The Blue Spirit’. It had a decent ring to it. 

“I have no last words,” Zuko breathed, “I do have a request, though.” 

“I don’t take requests from indecent peasants such as yourself,” Zhao glowered. 

_At least he doesn’t recognize my voice,_ Zuko thought. 

“Well, it’s not a request, per se,” The teen drawled, “More of a challenge. Something you can’t refuse!” 

“Oh? And what might that be?” Zhao rolled his eyes, gaining on Zuko.

“Admiral Zhao,” He spoke, “I challenge you to an Agni Kai!” 

The Admiral’s eyes widened. Then he cackled. 

“A miscreant like you wants to challenge me to a fire duel! I was right, you are a firebender! Of course, I must accept. I am an honorable man! I would never resist an opportunity to wipe the floor with a vile traitor!” 

“I have terms,” Zuko informed. 

Zhao wrinkled his nose. “And what might those be?” 

“You win? You can unmask and arrest the ‘traitor’ that… incapacitated you on Kyoshi Island. I win, you let me go, and promise not to step foot in Avatar Roku’s temple.” 

“So the Avatar _is_ hiding in there…” Zhao realized. He smirked. “I _accept_ your terms.” 

Not _I will follow_ your terms. Typical. 

_Aang, for the love of Agni, I hope you found what you were looking for by now._

“Prepare an area for us, will you?” Zhao ordered. His men went scrambling for chalk. 

“Blue Spirit, you do know that an Agni Kai is a strict duel with no room for ungraceful weapons such as those, do you not? Or any others, because frankly, I don’t trust you not to whip out a dagger during our fight,” The Admiral taunted. Zuko said nothing as he slipped off his swords and took the knife out of his boot. 

He was going to win this honorably. He had to prove to himself that he could. 

“Sir, step here,” One of the men instructed Zhao to step onto a chalk circle. Zuko took himself to the other one, his back facing the huge temple behind him. 

Zhao shrugged off his heavy armor and stripped himself of his robes. Zuko removed his gloves. 

The men of Zhao’s crew stepped away, and Zuko raised his fists. Zhao did the same. 

Someone told them to begin. Zuko stood his ground. Zhao impatiently did the same before he ran to make the first move. 

_I need to draw this out…_

Every punch Zhao threw was easily defended against. The older firebender used too much force and not enough agility. It was obvious he never got the hang of breathing exercises because each punch came with a grunt. 

When Zhao realized his punches weren’t affecting his opponent, he moved on to throwing fire in flurries that Zuko had to disperse quickly, or else he would get burned. The teen took solace in the fact that there was no other noise besides the crashing of the ocean and the sound of rushing fire. 

Until Zhao spoke. 

“Why stay on the defense! Don’t look down on me, coward!” 

Zuko lit his hands on fire in preparation. Zhao was getting angry. 

“You know,” The Admiral grunted as he threw another wave of flame at Zuko, “I’ve seen dishonorable people in all walks of life but you? You take the cake!” He roared. 

Zuko said nothing. He just thrust his fist forwards to redirect Zhao’s persistent attacks. 

This kept on, and soon Zhao was panting. “This is a duel!” He hollered, “And yet you won’t throw more than a fireball!” 

Zhao got closer, his hand covered in sickly orange flames. He threw waves of hot fire at Zuko. The fire never touched him, but the teen could tell Zhao was trying to back him into a corner. Zuko kept breaking his confinement with his own golden flames. 

The Admiral growled. “What? Too scared to burn me?” He taunted, “You need a lesson in respect!” 

Zuko froze. 

“Aw, are you finally realizing you’ve lost? Stand up and FIGHT!” 

Zuko felt the heat rushing towards his face, even from behind the mask. 

_You will learn respect—_

_I am your loyal son!_

_—And suffering will be your teacher._

That annoying laughter… it was back… 

_You will fight…_

_Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!_

The eye sockets of the blue mask flashed. A storm of green and purple fused and lit up his bare fists, and with a cry of fury, the green and purple became so blurred that only a low blue with licks of red was visible to the human eye. 

Zhao was blasted back by Zuko’s punch. As the man skidded to stop himself from falling, he grinned in anticipation. But his fascination ended when Zuko kept throwing waves of multi-colored fire at his limbs. He scrambled to keep up his defense. 

Zuko started to corner The Admiral all the way back to the shoreline of Crescent Island. With a final swing of flames, Zhao landed on his ass, and Zuko stood victorious over him, palm still ignited with red fire that bled with fury. 

Zhao might’ve begged for something, or asked Zuko to end it and burn him, but the young firebender heard nothing over the rush of blood in his ears. He felt his chest’s heaving slow down, and he saw the glow of his red flame return slowly to gold. Zhao’s pitiful form panted from exhaustion. He could give him the mark of the dishonored, or burn his open chest. He could even turn the man into ash, it was within the victor’s right to do so. 

With one last yell, Zuko threw down the flame he had created, making sure it narrowly missed the Admiral’s face. 

“I think the victor here is quite clear, isn’t it, Admiral?” He breathed. Zhao did not respond, and Zuko turned away, mask intact. 

Zhao’s heat signature lashed out in a familiar stroke from behind The Blue Spirit’s back. He turned, and with a singular swat, the arc of flame dissipated. A foul move.

“... Be grateful _they_ decide to call _you_ an honorable man, Zhao.” 

And with the finality of that statement, Zuko could walk away safely knowing he was the victorious one today. He picked up his weapons and looked back at Zhao, who still sat shock-still on the beach, then bolted. Sokka, Katara, and Aang needed to know that Admiral Zhao had caught up. 

* * *

Sokka flinched at the sound of echoing footsteps. Katara looked at him in alarm, and Shyu squinted in suspicion. 

“Who goes there?” Shyu called out. 

A black-clad figure stepped out from behind a pillar… 

“Lee!” Sokka exclaimed. Katara’s face lit up instantly. “You’re okay!” She cried. 

Lee, still wearing his mask, nodded. “Yeah… I’m okay… looks like Momo’s okay as well,” He laughed, though it sounded out of breath. 

Momo chittered back at Lee from his perch on Sokka’s shoulder. 

Lee tilted his head, like maybe underneath the mask he was trying to smile, but then he startled. “Bad news,” He said, “Zhao’s on the island.” 

Sokka scowled, and Katara huffed, but Sokka put out a hand to pat Lee on the shoulder. “Thanks for holding him back a little, at least. How long has he been here?” 

Lee waved his hand around to show he didn’t know the exact time. “Well, he kind of figured out Aang would visit the temple, so he decided to stop here despite the damage I did to his ship. But I knew you guys need more time so I challenged him to an Agni… Kai… where’s Aang?!” 

“Oh, Aang’s in the chamber,” Katara pointed to the huge doors that their friend was trapped behind, “But what’s an Agni Kai-”

“Fire duel,” Shyu interrupted, “You’re a firebender?” 

Lee’s body language indicated he was pretty put off by Shyu, but he answered anyway. 

“Yes… and you’re a Fire Sage,” He stated, “Why are the other Sages tied up?” 

“They’re loyal to the Firelord, not the Avatar, as they should be,” Shyu sighed. 

Lee nodded slowly. It was really hard to tell what he was thinking with that mask. 

“Well, at least Aang has found Roku and is speaking to him, and we’re all here together-” Sokka tried to encourage a little bit of non-existent positivity, before being rudely interrupted by the clamoring of Zhao’s men. 

“Spoke too soon?” He squeaked. Katara nodded. 

“Yup.” 

* * *

So, being tied to a pillar was not fun. Waiting in suspense as a murderous Admiral waits for your friend to emerge from a chamber after talking to a dead guy was not fun. 

The only remotely fun thing that happened in the last ten minutes was watching Lee breathe fire through his mask after Zhao tried to take the thing off. The dude’s sideburns were not going to recover anytime soon. 

Sokka was not the type to look for fun in shitty situations. In fact, he usually liked to point out the negatives. But this was an _ultra-shitty_ situation. So, for now, he’d rather settle on trying to find some positives. 

His positive and negative instincts didn’t tell him anything when the chamber doors burst open to reveal a huge firebending old man covered in smoke and light. In fact, those instincts were just telling him to _fucking run._

The rope that had been tying him down suddenly vanished, and soon the old man did too, after he chased Zhao and the other Sages away, leaving Aang’s body to collapse onto the ground. 

Lee ran and hefted the kid onto his back, and looked at Sokka.

“RUN!” Lee yelled. It was then that Sokka realized the old man had made every trace of himself disappear _except_ for the copious amounts of lava now drowning the temple.

Thank you, Avatar Roku!

* * *

When Aang woke up, he was completely silent. It was unusual, this was the same kid that asked to go penguin sledding with Katara the second he woke up from a one-hundred-year-old nap. You’d think he’d be a little more enthusiastic waking up from a twenty-minute one. 

After a little while of riding Appa in silence, Katara spoke up. 

“Aang… are you okay?” 

The airbender sighed, setting down Appa’s reins. The sky was darkening quickly, but the sunset shone brightly enough that the clouds illuminated in all colors of pinks and yellows. 

“Roku told me… he told me I have until Sozin’s Comet to learn all the elements and… defeat the Firelord. All in six months.” 

“What?!” Sokka and Katara cried out in unison. 

“That’s- that’s insane!” Katara protested, “What’s so important about this comet anyway?” 

“It’s supposed to give firebender’s this immense power every one-hundred years. Last time the comet passed… the Fire Nation… they...” 

Aang hung his head in misery. 

“Oh, Aang…” Katara moved closer to the boy. “It’ll be okay. We’re almost to the Northern Water tribe! Six months is still plenty of time!” 

“Yeah!” Sokka encouraged, “A-and I heard the Earth Kingdom is absolutely ginormous! There’s plenty of earthbenders to learn from!”

It was quiet for a moment, then the sound of pouring interrupted it. All heads turned to Lee, who silently filled four cups he’d taken out of his bag, his dark hair covering his eyes. The teapot he held was colored with a soft green. Sokka briefly wondered how he made the tea, but then remembered the guy was pretty much a human furnace with a stove for hands.

He brought the tea over to the group in silence, then sat with his legs tucked. 

“My Uncle… he always said tea was the best stress relief in the world. It’s not true, probably, but…”

Lee took a deep breath. 

“I think you can do it, Aang. You’re a survivor, you know? Uncle… Uncle says a survivor is the strongest type of person out there.”

Another beat passed as Lee took a sip of his tea.

“I say… tomorrow we’ll do hot squats and starting katas, alright? So... get some rest.” 

Aang’s grin returned to his face, and it just had to be the most positive thing that happened that day. “Thanks, Lee. Thank you… all of you.” 

Sokka became infected with Aang’s smile and slung his arm around Lee. He liked how warm Lee was. Katara huddled with her cup of tea and scooted close to Aang, giving the Avatar a side hug with a small squeeze. She also became infected with that content grin. 

“Thanks for the tea,” Sokka complimented Lee, making a show of taking a long sip then winking over the steam. Lee rolled his eyes, but eventually, the grin infected him as well. 

They sat like that, watching the sun dip below the horizon, occasionally infecting each other with giggles using jokes and dry remarks. 

Sokka remembered that when Aang learned about what had happened to his people, Katara comforted him by saying both her and Sokka could be his new family. Sokka was starting to see the appeal. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried for some fluff at the end, enjoy it while it lasts suckers
> 
> Sokka: Momo will be executing the plan-  
> Zuko, who is just as irrationally terrified of the damn lemur's either thriving or nonexistent cognitive ability as the author is: is he now?!
> 
> I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO WRITE THE BLUE SPIRIT VS. ZHAO FIGHT SINCE I STARTED THIS Y'ALL (I love their Agni Kai in season one so much and felt sad that it wouldn't work in the storyline but then I remembered Zhao and the Blue spirit are like arch-nemesis and then I was like 'wait who's the blue spirit... oh shi- OH SHITTTTT') 
> 
> fun fact: originally in this chapter I was going to have Zuko take off his mask while warning Sokka and Katara about Zhao (and they would make a comment about him looking like he was crying... because I wanted to be angsty) but then I realized the fire sage Shyu was there and I had to cut it because it was kind of the sage's job to oversee a bunch of stuff about the royal family and I didn't want to deal with Zuko trying to convince ANOTHER character to hide his identity for him, especially a minor character like Shyu 
> 
> as always, I love yall more than I love jasmine tea (i like jasmine tea quite a lot), and stay safe! leave ur comments and kudos below :)


	7. I Can Only Save Your Asses So Many Times, Guys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pirates, murderous children, old acquaintances, and multiple Blue Spirit interventions? And Uncle thought it was just Zuko who was restless and impulsive!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS GUYS GUYS DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE SUKI ALONE COMIC I- SCREAMING I LOVE SUKI MORE THAN I NEED AIR AHHHHHHHH  
> *ahem* back to regularly scheduled notes...
> 
> chapters are hard to put out, you know, with finals and annoying family members? so... sorry not sorry (because holy shit am I tired) 
> 
> also taking mailee off the tags but it's really important for season three so !! 
> 
> can I just say, it is hilarious to watch you guys stress over Zuko not revealing his identity yet. it makes me feel like some sort of cruel omnipotent god. emphasis on the cruel if all goes according to plan
> 
> grab water, a blanket, a snack, ah, YOU KNOW THE DRILL YALL BUCKLE UP!!! ITS A LONG ONE!!!  
> (warning for jet eyebrow slander)

Smoke seeped from Zuko’s nostrils as he watched the group’s supplies wash downriver. He had his own stuff still strapped to himself, but you’d think two inexperienced benders would know not to try random moves by themselves. 

Deciding his mask would draw too much attention to himself, Zuko followed Aang, Katara, and Sokka into town, slouching and not really paying attention, without it. Aang bought some whistle that annoyed him, so he tuned out of pretty much everything in favor of not hearing the thing squeal. When he glanced up to see where they were heading, the group had pretty much already stepped foot onto a _pirate_ ship. 

Zuko has had… good and bad encounters with pirates. The whole… stealing thing… he understands. He’s done it before. But ‘good’ and ‘bad’ were very broad terms when dealing with pirates. A bunch of wanted kids on their ship? Well… most pirates are okay with stealing more than just objects. It was like a rabbit-squirrel walking right into a hunter’s trap. 

Zuko tugged on Sokka’s arm, eyeing Katara and Aang as the two ventured further into the ship. 

“Be ready to bolt,” He warned.

Sokka frowned. “Why?” 

“Oh, nothing… it’s just that we walked straight into a pirate ship!” Zuko whispered, more aggressive than he wanted to be. 

Sokka’s mouth morphed into an ‘o’ shape. The two teenagers nodded at each other, a silent agreement to act as casual as possible. 

Zuko had the uncontrollable urge to strangle something when Aang decided to play with one of the pirate’s temper by haggling. Katara tugged on the airbender’s arm and smiled awkwardly, which Zuko took as a sign for _‘we can leave now’._

The whole pirate crew suddenly came flooding out of their ship while the group was walking away, and the situation quickly evolved into a chase. 

Aang used some unfortunate cabbage merchant’s cart as a block, to which Zuko called out a quick apology after hearing the man’s anguished cry of _‘MY CABBAGES!’_.

The young Avatar got the group out of the pirate’s grasp by telling them to hold onto his glider and airbending them away. Zuko found it terrifying. He very much liked feeling the ground underneath his feet at all times, thank you very much. 

They landed and Sokka demanded answers as to why the pirates started to chase them. 

“Maybe they found out we have bounties on our heads,” Zuko shrugged, “They wanted to cash in.” 

“Wait— we have _a bounty_ on our heads?!” Sokka squeaked.

“I mean… I definitely do… Zhao—” 

Sokka sighed. “Okay, I get it, but we saw them the whole time! They didn’t talk to anyone or check anything…” 

The sound of crinkling parchment interrupted the boy’s conversation. Their heads snapped towards Katara who was holding… 

The waterbending scroll Aang was haggling for. 

“Katara! You stole the scroll?!” Sokka shrieked. Zuko just mumbled a surprised, “Huh… nice job.” He didn’t even notice her take it, so he was a little impressed. 

“No wonder they chased us!” Sokka continued his groaning, “They just wanted their scroll back!” 

“It’s not even their scroll,” Katara rolled her eyes, “They’re pirates! They stole it first, probably from the Southern Water tribe too, so technically it’s my right to steal it!” She pouted. 

“That doesn’t make stealing right, Katara!” 

“You both have good points,” Aang put up his arms and tried to mediate the situation, “But what’s done is done. We can only learn from it!” 

Zuko snorted at the kid’s optimism. He could never decide if it was annoying or refreshing. 

* * *

Zuko was sharpening his swords when he heard yelling. Sokka, who was polishing his boomerang, mumbled something that vaguely sounded like ‘what now’. They both got up and headed towards (what was now identified as) Katara’s frustrated yelling. 

Katara got angry similarly to Azula… well what Zuko remembered of his little sister. Same threatening tone, same cruel, stinging words, but with Katara there was a voice in the back of your head saying ‘it’s okay, she’s not going to kill you or anything’. With Azula, that voice didn’t even dare speak out. 

The waterbender brought Aang to near-tears. Sokka shot her a look of disappointment (Zuko simply decided to not make any eye contact), and Katara became guilty fast. She apologized, both to Aang and Momo, who she whipped with water on accident. 

Aang, the forgiving and love-struck puppy he was, instantly forgave her. Katara relinquished her possessiveness over the scroll and gave it over to Aang. The rest of the day went by pretty fast after that, with Sokka and Zuko sitting in comfortable silence as Aang and Katara splashed and had fun near the water. 

* * *

“Wha— am I not important enough to be kidnapped?!” 

Sokka’s loud voice crack woke Zuko up from his sleeping spot in the trees. He looked down in time to see both Aang and Sokka being dragged away by members of the pirate crew, Katara nowhere in sight. 

Startled into action, Zuko trained his focus on the pirates' heat signatures. After slinging his mask out of his bag and onto his face, Zuko started to hop from tree to tree without a sound, following the chitter of Sokka’s non-stop complaining.

“—So where is your other friend?! I don’t have all night for this!” The pirate captain barked at Katara, who was tied up to a tree along with Sokka and Aang in a small forest clearing. 

“C’mon, you got the scroll!” Sokka exclaimed, “Can’tcha just let us go?” 

“Capt’n won’t letcha go!” One of the crew members jeered, “We wanna make all of you punks pay!”

“What, are you going to kill us?” Katara asked. 

Another pirate spoke up, this one holding a crusty-looking iguana-parrot that Zuko assumed belonged to the captain. “Maybe… or we could sell ya off, like the cheap works ya are.”

Katara grimaced.

So, the pirates were waiting for him, huh? 

In the most dramatic fashion he could muster, Zuko dropped down from the trees, his spirit mask securely tied and giving him a hair-raising aura. It easily caught the attention of the pirates. The captain didn’t even have the chance to blink before two of his crew were knocked out cold from the blunt of Zuko’s broadswords. The man drew his weapon, a sleek double-edged Jian that was probably stolen from the southern regions of the Earth Kingdom. 

With about five pirates coming from all angles, the teenager sprung into motion. The advantage of using two broadswords was that it was genuinely easier to deal with multiple opponents. You just have to have eyes in the back of your head. Convenient for a certain half-blind firebender.

Zuko was forever happy with his choice of twin dao, and his choice of learning swordsmanship in general. Sure, Master Piandao had a rigorous curriculum, but Zuko loved it. Much more than he ever liked firebending. It was the one thing _he_ accomplished, Father and Azula thought it was stupid to learn anything other than firebending, because why would you need anything else? Firebending is the most powerful way to fight, the most honorable!

Yeah, Zuko’s never been too great when it comes to being honorable. 

He started training with swords after Uncle had found him crying near the courtyard of the palace on one of the man’s few visits. Iroh asked what was wrong, and Zuko told him Father wasn’t happy that the young prince _still_ couldn't firebend. He was almost seven, making him a ridiculously late bloomer. Uncle then introduced him to his Master swordsman friend, Piandao, and Zuko started to feel the lack of confidence that had always resided in him after every firebending lesson dissipate. Master Piandao never hurt Zuko for doing something wrong. No wrist burns, no smacks to the head for lisping a word or dropping something. 

When he was eight, his firebending finally showed, and he was pulled out of lessons. 

Piandao hadn’t named him a master swordsman yet, for he was too young. Father forbade him to go back as he grew. 

He still practiced, of course. And then, as he grew into his tweens, Father started paying less and less attention to him. He wouldn’t even see Father for weeks at a time, and when he did the encounters were never pleasant. 

This allowed Zuko to sort of... sneak out. He would show up at Master Piandao’s and lie about his father wanting him to restart lessons. He was granted the title of Master within a week, Piandao even noting that he was impressed Zuko had gotten better over the years _without_ his guidance. 

He was _impressed._

No one was ever impressed by _Prince Zuko_.

He held these accomplishments close to his chest. He wasn’t the best swordsman. He wasn’t a prodigy. But for once he was impressive, and that was enough. 

These pirates, however, weren’t that impressive. Zuko plowed through them easily, except the captain. The man abandoned their fight to press his sword to Katara’s throat.

“Take one step, and her blood will be on your hands!” 

Zuko froze. Katara just stared at the sword like it had personally offended her. Aang looked on the verge of the Avatar state, which Zuko wanted to promptly avoid. Sokka looked nervous and met the firebender’s eyes like he expected something crazy. 

Well, if he wanted crazy… 

With an aggressive swing, Zuko sent an arc of fire to the captain’s feet as a distraction, while he slung his own body off the ground and landed with the grace of a swan-hawk on the pirate’s sword, his own weapon cutting the rope binding the Avatar’s crew. His weight caused the captain to stumble and drop his sword, clutching his wrist in pain. Sokka laughed in relief (and maybe at the pirate captain) and untangled himself from the rope. Aang whipped out that stupid whistle he bought and blew on it. If he didn’t have the mask on he would’ve commented how annoying that whistle was…

Appa roared above them, and Zuko realized the whistle wasn’t actually useless. Cool. 

The group escaped to the skies, ignoring the pirate captain’s humiliated screams. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Sokka exclaimed, flinging his arms around Zuko, “We would’ve been dead meat with you, Lee!” 

“Oh, it was um… nothing. But seriously, begging yourself to be kidnapped?! I heard that you know,” The firebender huffed, sliding his mask off and pushing the other teen off of him. 

“Well, _someone_ had to make sure those two,” Sokka gestured to Aang and Katara, the latter of the two making a much-needed apology, “Weren’t going to do something reckless! Which reminds me,” He pulled the Agni-damned scroll from his pocket, “I swiped it during the fight, it fell out of one of the pirate’s pockets near my feet.” 

Katara grinned and extended her hand out to grab it, but her brother took it out of her grasp. 

“Ah ah ah,” he tutted, “What did you _learn_?” 

Katara rolled her eyes. “You shouldn’t steal…” 

Sokka let her have the parchment. 

“... Unless it’s from pirates!” She finished, jokingly feigning pride. 

Zuko let out a natural laugh, to which Sokka turned his head and stared at him like he had a second head. 

“What?!”

“Huh? Oh— nothing, Lee.” 

_Weird_.

* * *

“Hey, Capt’n…” 

“What is it, Lang?” The pirate captain spat. He was still wounded (emotionally) from his crew’s loss. Both the scroll and the opportunity to bash those punks that took it into the ground. 

“This week’s wanted lists came out.”

“What, are we in it this time?” 

“No, no, but you remember the weird guy with the blue mask that freed those thievin’ rats?” 

The pirate captain turned to see his second in command holding out a poster with the same ghastly blue mask that attacked him. 

That bounty… 

Well, it was much more than that water scroll was ever worth. The captain snatched the poster from Lang’s hands.

“It says ‘ere that anyone with any information on who's under that mask already makes bank!” Lang’s giddy tone informed. 

“Yeah… but I wanna catch this bastard.” 

“Of course, sir, but we can get both sums because Kanto thinks he knows who they call ‘The Blue Spirit’!”

“Is that the name they gave him… hmm… I want everyone in my cabin. Now.” 

“Kanto, Lang said you know who this Blue Spirit is?” 

“Ah, y-yes sir! I was a-thinkin’ ‘bout it, and it has to be that fourth friend o’ ther’s! Why else would the goon rescue ‘em?” 

The pirate captain smiled. “See, this is why I keep you on the crew, Kanto. You’re the only smart one ‘round ‘ere, it seems. So, what did this guy look like?” 

All the captain got were blank stares from the crew. 

“Someone had to have seen him,” He stated, trying not to burst a blood vessel, “I was too busy with the other punks to see ‘em, so who was he?!” 

“Well uh, he had black hair!”

“Thank you, Bo. Anyone else?!” 

Blank stares. 

The pirate captain snarled and ordered everyone away. 

“Lang, stay. Who wants this Spirit?”

“It says here… reports go to Admiral Zhao. Sounds like Fire Nation to me.” 

“Oh, _those_ guys know how to pay. Let’s get a move on, I wanna speak to this Admiral Pow.”

“It’s uh, ‘Zhao’, sir.”

“... Pow sounded better.” 

“I agree, capt’n!”

* * *

After Sokka ever-so-bravely rescued Momo from a hunter’s trap, the teen from the Water Tribe concluded it was best if the whole crew traveled by foot, emphasizing that the trap was Fire Nation and Appa was too easy to spot. 

Not like Zuko disagreed with Appa being the most noticeable mode of transportation on the planet, but walking on foot in a forest had its pros and cons. Good cover, but easy ambush. Aang and Katara had the same thoughts which they were very vocal about, resulting in arguments about who the leader of the group was. Zuko stayed quiet, slipping on his gloves and mask once again, in case the Fire Nation was actually in the woods. 

“Aang can’t be the leader, he’s just a goofy kid!” Sokka exclaimed. Aang nodded, hanging upside down on Appa’s horn. 

Katara rolled her eyes. “Tch. Maybe you’d stop being so bossy if you kissed a girl.” 

“Woah Woah Woah! I’ve kissed a girl!” His voice cracked as he defended himself, “You just uh, don’t know her!” 

“Uh-huh. You know Sokka, I’ve _met_ Gran-Gran.”

Sokka sputtered indignantly. “Wh— wha— Well then, if I’m not the leader, and you’re not the leader, and _Aang’s_ not the leader, then all that’s left is Lee!” 

Zuko snapped to attention at his (fake) name being called. 

“Oh yeah, I wonder how many girls _Lee_ has kissed,” Katara drawled. 

“Uhm… does it matter?” Zuko asked. He didn’t see how kissing girls related to leading a team. 

“No, it doesn’t!” Sokka said, sticking his tongue out at his sister, “But uh, just out of curiosity, how many girls _have_ you kissed, Lee?” 

“Uh-” 

“Oh, I bet he’s kissed lots,” Katara lightly teased, “Kyoshi Island had tons of girls, unlike the Southern Water Tribe.” 

Zuko scratched his arm. This conversation made him feel… well not uncomfortable, just… a little lost. 

“I… I don’t really think I’ve kissed a girl…” He admitted. 

“Really?” Aang asked, “Sokka said ‘girls must’ve been fawning over’—”

“Aang, _please_ shut up. What he _meant_ is… why haven’t you kissed a girl?” Sokka inquired. He seemed fairly curious about such a random topic. 

“I guess I never thought about it… maybe I forgot.”

Aang giggled. “You forgot to think about girls?”

Zuko shrugged. 

Azula and Ty Lee used to taunt him and Mai, saying they liked each other and wanted to kiss and date but…

There was one day when Mai told Zuko that her parents wanted to arrange a marriage between her and the Fire Prince when they were older for political power. Mai had shown… much more emotion than she usually did that day, telling Zuko that she _did_ like him, that she _did_ want to be around him, but not in the way her parents wanted her to. He didn’t like seeing her upset, so Zuko made a promise to her, saying that even if they were ever forced to get married, they wouldn’t have to do gross things, like kiss or go on dates. It’s not like Zuko _really_ wanted to marry her either. She was fun to be around and easy for Zuko to get along with, but Mai could kiss and date whoever she wanted! If Zuko told her otherwise, Mai could just throw a knife at him. Mai smiled at this proclamation, saying that she would like to be married to Zuko if those were the rules. They were both twelve when they had this conversation, and it was prompted by Azula’s teasing. Sure, Zuko blushed when Mai was around, but the snide comments were embarrassing! 

That was the extent of his “dating and kissing” experience. Zuko never gave it more thought. It wasn’t… a thing he got to think about as a prince, as he was taught duty to his country was worth more than his own happiness. And after his banishment, he didn’t care. 

_Maybe_ the topic of dating was muddled for Zuko. He knew people his age were obsessed with it, but he never looked at a person and thought past ‘Oh, they’re nice to look at’, so he never pursued anyone. 

Plus, his great-grandfather criminalized certain types of relationships, forcing Zuko to purposely stray away from particular speculation about people he found ‘nice-looking’.

Not that any of this nonsense about dating would matter… Zuko knew he wasn’t easy on the eyes, or on the brain for that matter, with his personality being all over the place. 

Ugh… now he was just getting lost in his thoughts. There was a reason he didn’t make a habit of _thinking_. 

Sokka and Katara were still exchanging banter, the conversation between the siblings never ceasing. Aang occasionally interjected to complain about the longevity of traveling by foot. 

Zuko, with his horrible luck, should’ve expected something to go wrong, but walking right into a Fire Nation camp was unquestionably unexpected. 

Sokka tried to make some dumb bluff, but the soldiers had already prepared an attack, blocking their exit by setting fire to the nearby shrubbery. 

Zuko was fully willing to fight every soldier off himself but didn’t need to, as a battle abruptly appeared in front of his eyes.

Literal _children_ dropped from the canopy of trees, attacking the soldiers in wildly different methods of fighting. One kid, older by his appearance, swept through soldiers with ease, using two… hooks to fight them off. Shaking away his confusion, Zuko took down what soldiers he could, leaving them to groan on the leafy ground.

The fight stopped as quickly as it was started, leaving Sokka standing awkwardly with his boomerang in hand. The guy with the hooks sauntered towards the group, and Zuko gripped his sword.

“I’m Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters. Who are you?” 

Okay, this guy was weird. First off, if you’re running a group called “the Freedom Fighters”, you shouldn’t reveal your group to strangers. Second off, his eyebrows were _way_ too arched. 

Zuko looked this straw-chewing high-arch hook-fighting teenager up and down and he couldn’t describe him as anything other than outlandish. Jet’s personality was already proving to be a bit much at the moment as he introduced his “Freedom Fighters” one by one, almost showcasing them and their abilities like prized possessions. Zuko let himself follow Sokka because he wasn’t sure what to do as Jet led all of them to another part of the forest. Smellerbee, Pipsqueak, and a kid named ‘The Duke’ carried barrels of blasting jelly stolen from the Fire Nation campsite, which only made Zuko suspicious. What did these kids need blasting jelly for? They were all sufficient in combat… what were they blowing up? 

Sokka scowled as Jet talked his sister up and Aang started to laugh with Pipsqueak and The Duke. Zuko saw him physically hold his tongue back when Katara accepted an invitation to the Freedom Fighter’s hideout. 

They got to the hideout, which was hidden in the trees and accessible by rope. Jet turned away from Katara and let the other kids go up. Before Sokka and Zuko could move, Jet put out his hand. 

“I made my group familiar to yours, but it seems like one of your members hasn’t introduced themself. What’s with mask-y over there?” 

Zuko stopped in his tracks. Everyone was looking at him expectantly, Katara and Aang included. 

The firebender didn’t really want to speak or take off his mask. There was something about new, boisterous people like Jet that made him nervous. 

Sokka was the first one to break the silence, understanding that if Zuko wasn’t going to talk someone was going to have to do it for him. 

“Uh… this is our friend. He doesn’t talk.” 

“Okay…” Jet intoned, “Does he have a name?” 

Sokka clicked his tongue. “They call him ‘The Blue Spirit’!” 

Jet raised his ludicrous eyebrows. “... Why?”

“Oh, you know, it’s just that my friend here scares the Fire Nation _so_ bad, that they call him a spirit!” Sokka beamed, making jazz hands aimed at Zuko like he was showing the firebender off. He was glad the mask hid his blush because there was no doubt his cheeks were flushed after being announced like some sort of star. 

Jet’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he recovered and put a smile onto his face. “Well, up you go, Mister ‘Blue Spirit’,” He popped the ‘t’ with unnecessary sarcasm, “Katara, you can hold onto me.” 

Sokka scoffed at the guy’s odd behavior, taking it upon himself to walk up to one of the ropes and pull, causing him to go flying up with a surprised yelp. Zuko snorted but scowled to himself when Jet shot him a look. The guy was already getting on his nerves and he hadn’t even done anything super questionable.

Besides those eyebrows, of course.

* * *

Zuko kept shadowing Sokka like a lost bear-dog, mostly because he felt _very_ lost. He could tell Sokka was not in a good mood, but Katara and Aang were so excitable that they didn’t notice (or they just ignored it). 

What surprised the young firebender the most, however, was when Katara brought up her mother. Sokka slowed down, certainly overhearing the conversation, but his face softened upon hearing Jet and Katara bond over their shared loss. He picked up the pace toward wherever the rest of the Freedom Fighters were heading, looking more relaxed than he was before. Zuko dutifully followed. 

The weird thing is, the death of Katara’s mother was Sokka’s loss as well, but from what Zuko had seen Katara was a lot more open about it. She used her mother’s death to bring points across, to relate to people, and to bond with them. Zuko hadn’t even heard Sokka mention his mother _or_ his father. 

Zuko shook his head. He couldn’t just make random assumptions about Sokka’s life. He didn’t want to ask either. 

* * *

“Today, we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine!” Jet hollered, “I got a special joy from the look on one soldier’s face when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog monkey. Now… the Fire Nation thinks they don’t have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees. Maybe they’re right. Or… maybe they’re _dead_ wrong!” 

_UM?!_

Cheers filled the banquet area. Zuko watched as everyone, including Katara and Aang, clapped and admired Jet’s speech. 

Synchronously, Sokka and Zuko looked at each other, then looked back at Jet, who was basking in all his glory, then back to each other. Sokka looked as disturbed as Zuko felt. The way Jet emphasized the “dead” really _did not_ give Zuko a good gut feeling. Maybe Sokka had been right about “instincts”.

“Smellerbee? Longshot? Can you guys bring The Blue Spirit to a room?” Jet shouted over all the commotion, “He looks tired. Aren’t you tired?” 

Zuko said nothing, eyeing Smellerbee and Longshot as they approached him. The firebender stood because he _did_ want to get away from this gathering, but he stayed aware. He felt pretty cornered, with Jet just basically ordering him away.

“I’ll come with,” Sokka stated, standing and rolling his shoulders back. 

“Ah, no Sokka, I actually need to talk to you! Smellerbee, make sure The Blue Spirit is comfortable during his stay!” 

“You got it, boss!” Smellerbee yelled back, motioning for Zuko to follow her. Longshot stood uncomfortably close behind Zuko, pretty much forcing him forward. He took one last look at Sokka, whose eyebrows were knitted in concern, but he too was forced away by Jet. 

Zuko walked across the wooden canopy bridges in silence. 

“You know, I think Longshot likes you,” Smellerbee spoke up, causing Zuko to startle, “He doesn’t talk either.” 

Zuko looked behind him, to which Longshot looked him directly in the eyes and sharply nodded.

“Anyway, you can sleep here,” The girl pointed to a wood loft, “See you tomorrow, The Blue Spirit.” 

Zuko hesitantly nodded, and the two turned on their heel and headed back toward the rest of the hideout. 

* * *

When the firebender woke (at sunrise, of course) he found no one else even near his loft. He got up and snooped around the closer areas of the hideout, but didn’t find any trace of Sokka. 

Seemingly out of nowhere, Longshot and Sneers popped up behind him. 

“Hey, spirit. What are you doing up so early?” Sneers questioned with a yawn.

Zuko stared him down. 

“Oh right, he’s like you, Longshot. I should stop waiting for him to talk. Although, you don’t wear a mask. Unlike you, I don’t know what this guy’s thinking. No offense, The Blue Spirit.”

Zuko waved off the kid. He cared more about where in Agni’s name Sokka was. And everyone else. 

As the day went by, Zuko found everyone but Sokka, Jet, Smellerbee, and Pipsqueak. The Duke and Aang were hanging out, and Katara was weaving some sort of hat for Jet. Sneers and Longshot followed him the whole time. It was getting aggravating, and at some point, Zuko realized he was most definitely being monitored. 

He knew no one here trusted the Fire Nation, but it should’ve been impossible to tell that _he_ was Fire Nation. None of them saw him fight long enough to make out a discernible style, and he hadn’t taken or loosened his mask, even as he slept!

Faint yelling broke Zuko out of his worries, and he headed towards the commotion. Weirdly enough, Sneers and Longshot weren’t nearby. 

The shouting had settled by the time Zuko got to the origin of it, which happened to be where Jet’s tent was. 

With a deep breath, Zuko opened the tent flap to find… only Jet was in the room. The teen turned like he was expecting Zuko to be there. 

“The Blue Spirit… just who I wanted to see!” Jet scoffed. As Zuko tried to hastily exit the tent, he spoke. “Oh, what are you in such a rush for? Come on sit, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

_Oh… this can’t be good._

Zuko made no move to sit. The other teen rapped his foot impatiently. 

“Tch. I don’t like guys like you,” Jet remarked, tone sour, “You’re an amazing fighter, yet, you hide your face. I don’t mind the whole mute thing, I mean, I trust Longshot with my life! But with Longshot, at least I know I can trust him. I can see it in his eyes. You, however… your eyes are like two clouded holes punched into your face. I can’t trust you with that stupid mask. How do I know you aren’t some Fire Nation assassin, sent here to kill me?! I see the soot marks around your mask, there’s no telling if I let a firebender onto my base!” 

Zuko tried not to tense when the boy mentioned the Fire Nation and firebending, but he failed. His fists were tensed to the point of numbness. They would’ve been in flames if it weren’t for the gloves.

“... At least I don’t need to see your face to know you’re cowardly,” He sighed, “If you were actually proud to fight the Fire Nation, then you’d do it without that mask. Now get out of my sight. I’m sure you won’t tattle on me to your buddy, Sokka. You know, considering…” Jet gestured to his jugular in an attempt to mock that Zuko ‘doesn’t talk’. 

It took every ounce of self-control and discipline he had learned to not punch Jet’s teeth right out of his stupid fucking straw-chewing mouth. 

The part that made Zuko so angry was that _Jet was right_. Zuko felt like a fucking coward. He couldn’t even fight the nation that had destroyed the world with his own face. And he was usually okay with it, but the fact that an asshole like Jet pointed it out so easily made him feel nauseated. 

Wordlessly, Zuko shifted on his heel and left the tent. Longshot and Sneers stood outside but luckily didn’t go after him. If they did Zuko might’ve actually set them on fire. 

In his haze of anger, Zuko accidentally crashed into- Sokka?!

“L- Buddy! I’ve been looking for you all over! Listen, I need-”

Zuko didn’t let him finish, dragging him by the arm to the small loft he had been given. The firebender lifted his mask as soon as they were hidden, starting to speak. 

“We need-”

“I gotta-”

Both teens smiled at each other in exasperation at accidentally talking over each other. The smiles dropped as quickly as they came and Zuko let Sokka explain first. He told Zuko about how Jet had taken him on a mission and used Sokka’s skills to unjustly beat up and frame an old man who just happened to be Fire Nation. The teen from the Water Tribe expressed how wrong he felt, and how Jet got some sort of sick satisfaction from hurting an innocent old man. He also explained that Katara and Aang didn’t believe Sokka’s side of the story and that Jet had them both under his control. They’d believe anything he said! 

Zuko conveyed his own displeasure, telling Sokka how Jet had shown his true colors in that tent. They both agreed that Jet had a bad vibe from the moment he introduced himself. 

“I’m just glad you believed me,” Sokka breathed, giving Zuko an appreciative smile. 

Zuko reflected his grin. “Of course. What, you think I’m going to take the side of a guy with eyebrows higher than a volcano?”

Sokka laughed, and Zuko swelled with a bit of satisfaction. Sokka was usually the one cracking jokes, and it made the firebender glad he was able to make the other teen laugh occasionally. Plus, this whole day had been too tense not to loosen up at the sight of Sokka, who he’d missed all morning. After all, Sokka was the only one who had any sense in this situation. 

“So what’s the plan?” Zuko asked. 

“The… the plan?” 

“Yeah, you’re the plan guy,” He urged, “The leader. The one with instincts?” 

“Now you’re just flattering me, Lee. Now, since we can’t get Aang and Katara to leave I say we spy on...”

* * *

“I- I can’t believe they just want to destroy the entire village like that!” Sokka squeaked. 

Zuko merely sat back in the tree, stuck in disbelief. Did people hate the Fire Nation so much they were willing to kill innocents? Or was Jet just some… heartless monster?! The entire village of Gaipan… wiped away! He was shocked enough to not notice Pipsqueak and Smellerbee sneaking behind the two boys. 

They were caught. Jet dared to try and convince Sokka and Zuko to join in on the plan but receded quickly after realizing neither of them would budge. 

Their captors lead them into the forest to avoid contact with Katara and Aang, who were being tricked into helping with the plan. 

_There is no way this is going to end well_ , Zuko thought, negativity racking his brain. 

Sokka, the smart individual he was, tricked Smellerbee and Pipsqueak into getting caught in hunting traps. 

“ _See_? This is why you’re the plan guy,” Zuko drawled, eagerly breaking the rope binding his hands. 

“Wha- you can talk?!” Smellerbee exclaimed, shocked. 

“Yeah. Sorry?” 

“C’mon, we don’t have all the time in the world!” Sokka called, already running towards the village.

* * *

“We warned the villagers about your plan, just in time.” 

“What?!” 

Jet bridled with rage, trapped in ice that Katara had produced. Katara looked at her brother in relief, and Zuko rushed over to help Aang with his busted glider. Poor kid had a few bruises. 

“At first they didn’t believe me,” Sokka explained, ignoring Jet’s seething, “But that old man vouched for me. Once they trusted us, it was just a matter of getting away on time.” 

“Sokka, you fool! We could’ve freed this valley!” 

“Who would be free, Jet?! They’d all be dead!” 

Aang pressed a quick hug into Zuko’s abdomen, and the firebender could tell this whole circumstance would be hard on him.

“You traitor!”

Sokka sighed. “No Jet. You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people.” 

Not that anyone could see it, but in that moment, Zuko’s eyes shone with admiration for Sokka. The Water Tribe teenager was just… so _good._ Better than Zuko could ever hope to be, really. He hoped one day, he would learn to be that caring, that good. 

Jet, still pleading to be freed as the group climbed onto Appa, was left in the same state they met him in, cold-hearted and prideful. 

Katara and Aang thanked Sokka and apologized for not listening to him in the first place. Caught up in the attention, Sokka started to steer Appa the wrong way, which made Zuko snort. 

He slipped his teapot and cups out of his bags. For some strange reason, he couldn’t shake the tea-making habit. Hopefully, when he met Uncle again he could ask if tea could become an addiction. Aang and Katara fell asleep on each other’s shoulders, probably exhausted from being emotionally manipulated by Jet. 

Zuko maneuvered his way up to Sokka, glad to feel the wind in his hair and face again. That mask got a bit suffocating at times. He offered a cup of tea to Sokka, who took it with a silent nod of gratitude. The firebender sat, crossing his legs and enjoying the soft plush of Appa’s fur. 

“How are you doing?” Sokka asked, tone soft. 

Zuko scoffed. “Are you kidding? I should be asking how you are, considering you were the hero of today.” 

“Don’t be like that.” 

“It’s true. Look,” Zuko mumbled, and tried his best to prepare something to say. 

“I know it wasn’t your intention, but… even if the Fire Nation is the… enemy, I’m… it’s just- it’s nice to hear you still care about those of them who are innocent, you know? The… the citizens… the country didn’t ask for any of it, the propaganda, the people in power… I… I don’t know. Forget I said anything.” 

Sokka shook his head. “No, I get what you’re trying to say. After you told me that people are drafted as soldiers… at such a young age as well… it sort of changed my perspective. Not everything is supposed to be black and white, I guess. Back in the Southern Water Tribe, it’s a choice… more like an honor to fight for your tribe.” 

Zuko blew the steam away from his tea. “Some people in the Fire Nation do believe it’s a duty to their country. They volunteer… fight for... uh, honor. It’s mostly higher-ups, they think the war is justifiable, or necessary.” 

“Well,” Sokka shrugged, “I guess they would just be more on the black side then.” He took a sip of his tea. “Ooh, what’s this?” 

“It’s a green tea blend, with some dried lychee nuts.” 

“It’s really good. It’s cool that you can just… make it with your hands, too.”

“Thanks?” 

They fell into a comfortable silence, something the firebender rarely got to experience. Suki described him as ‘awkward’ and ‘occasionally off-putting’, so sitting in silence with anyone other than Uncle (or sometimes the Kyoshi Warriors) often made him weary.

Zuko watched from the corner of his good eye as Sokka happily nursed his tea. Something about the setting sun casting a golden glow around the two boys made Zuko feel profoundly calm. 

“... You know what would make this better?” 

Zuko sighed. “What?” 

“Some baked goods,” Sokka said dreamily. 

Zuko just shoved him lightly. “Why do you always think about food?” 

“Excuse me, but food is a necessity, my dearest Lee,” He gasped dramatically, “You wound me!” 

“Who knows? Maybe I’ll find a kitchen to break into, make some baked goods.” 

“Aw, you’d do that, just for me?” 

“Just for you to shut up, yes.” 

* * *

Zuko blanked out as the two opposing tribes of the Great Divide parted ways. “So, was anyone going to tell me that Aang could lie like that, with his _whole_ _chest_ , or was I just supposed to figure that out in a huge canyon myself?”

Aang smiled like the little shit Zuko (now) knew he was. 

“Aang, you lied to those people?” Katara gaped. 

“I prefer to call it out-of-the-box peace-making?” 

Sokka threw his head back and laughed. “You’re a fucking riot, Aang!” 

“Sokka, don’t swear!” 

* * *

When the group touched down on the coastal marketplace, Zuko felt his scar prickle. He searched his bag but unfortunately, his small container of burn salve was, in fact, completely empty. With a half-hearted groan, the firebender started to walk into town, looking for a pharmacy. 

“Hey, where are you going, Lee?” Aang called after him.

Zuko nonchalantly responded, “I’m just going to explore a bit,” and Aang got off his case. The boy bounded over to Katara, most likely to try his hand at terrible flirting. Sokka waved to him as he walked away. 

_Fruit cart, Cabbage cart, fish cart… there, a pharmacy._

Zuko opened the door to the, thankfully, empty shop. It was small, as they usually were in small towns like this, and a man seemed to be taking a nap with his head buried in his arms behind the counter. 

“Um, excuse me?” Zuko spoke. The man didn’t even stir.

With a stiff cough, he tried again, “Excuse me, sir?” 

“Ah- oop- uh, I’m up!” He said, swiveling around in a dazed state. Red marks littered the right side of his face, probably from sleeping on his arms for so long…

Wait… his face…

“What can I get for… you… Prince Zuko?!” 

_Oh, Agni._

“Please, be quiet. The name’s Lee,” He said, a little miffed he’d said his former identity so loud and openly, “Um… medic… Daiko, was it?” 

The poor bewildered man pushed up his round-framed glasses and gaped at Zuko. “I- uh, sir, I never- well, I never expected to see you again!” 

“Neither did I,” Zuko admitted, “But here we are.” 

Zuko took a long look at Daiko’s demeanor. The man hadn’t changed much in appearance, a gaunt face with round glasses, fair skin, and long, dark hair that was always held back in a tight low ponytail. He had been the medic on the _Wani_ , which meant Zuko was around him a bit more than he was the other crewmates. It also meant Daiko witnessed _a lot_ of Zuko’s rage. The former prince never hated Daiko personally, but Agni, when he first was healing from the initial scarring he wanted to turn the medic into ash. Burn recovery was excruciatingly painful, and Zuko’s constant aggravated state just made it ten times worse. He wondered if Daiko’s straight-backed posture meant that the medic was still afraid of the vicious outbursts they both knew Zuko to be capable of. 

“Well… what brings you here, Pr- sorry, Lee? Why are you in this town, of all places?” The older man questioned. Zuko was glad he was showing restraint, because it was evident the guy wanted to ask much, much more. 

Zuko slid the empty glass tub across the counter.

“... Are you still using the same one?” Daiko asked, picking up the container. 

“Yeah,” Zuko said, “It’s the only balm I can-”

“-That you can stand the smell of, yes,” Daiko finished for him, stopping when he realized he’d interrupted. “I-I’m sorry sir-”

“It’s fine,” Zuko assured. The other man looked doubtful. “No, really it’s fine,” He repeated, “I’m not your commanding officer anymore, so…”

“Right,” Daiko nodded, “You… you’ve changed quite a bit.”

“I have a socially acceptable amount of hair now, yeah,” Zuko said, hoping to lift the tense atmosphere.

Daiko grinned, setting down the small jar after examining it thoroughly. “Did you... also develop a sense of humor?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, while I mix this, mind telling me why you’re here of all places? Or why your hair’s back, or why you go by ‘Lee’, or why-”

Zuko held a hand up to stop his rambling. 

Daiko’s eyes widened, “I’m sorry,” He apologized, “You don’t have to tell me anything Prince- uh, I mean, Lee.” 

The teen sighed, a habit he picked up from his Uncle. “Again, it’s fine, Daiko.”

The medic mumbled a surprised ‘I didn’t think he’d remember my name’ that Zuko only picked up on because he was good at reading lips. The firebender ignored that comment. 

“To answer your questions… uh… I’m traveling with some... friends. And I… well my Uncle and I cut off our hair years ago... ‘Lee’ just happens to be what I’m called now.” 

“Huh,” Daiko raised his eyebrows before going back to crushing whatever remedy he was making, “How is General Iroh?” 

“He goes by Mushi and he’s… well last time I saw him he was happy, so…”

“That’s good… good… oh, this will be two silver pieces, by the way.”

“... Sounds good. Nice you got to settle here…”

“Yeah, it’s a nice town, I got a nice wife… but my life isn’t too exciting since I left the crew,” Daiko shrugged, “But I think that’s a good thing.”

“... I’m glad you’re happy.”

The man gave him a sincere smile. “Thank you, sir.”

* * *

Zuko stepped out of the shop, scar throbbing. He was going to have to find somewhere to put the replenished salve on, but for now, he just dealt with the subtle pains that would usually indicate a storm or change in weather… 

Wait, a storm?

Scanning the horizon, Zuko realized a storm _was_ actually brewing.

_Where in the name of Agni were Aang, Katara, and Sokka..._

He hastily roamed through the market town, finding no sign of the group near the docks or even the fruit stands they were hanging around earlier. 

Getting a little worried, Zuko decided to casually lean against the wall of the nearest building. If anyone looked at him, they would’ve assumed he was just trying to take a quick breath or break from shopping, but he was actually trying to navigate the heat signatures of everyone in town. Luckily, it was getting colder, so there weren’t so many distractions from the warmth that humans and animals gave off, but finding someone by looking at their heat signature wasn’t as practical as one might think it would be. You can’t identify someone just from the heat they produce, and shapes were sort of hazy. Zuko mostly just used it when he felt like someone might attack him, he’d never used it for the specific purpose of finding someone. 

The firebender quickly learned that looking beyond twenty feet was a bit strenuous. He persisted though, not wanting him or his friends to be caught in a storm. 

Just off the general area of the town, on a nearby mountain, Zuko felt the presence of a humongous creature’s heat signature. It was so obviously Appa, and the firebender exhaled in relief before letting go of his concentration. 

_Fuck. OW._

Immediately, he was hit with a splitting headache. He clutched his face in pain, the throbbing of his scar and brain making him want to combust. It took Zuko a minute to regain bearings. Even with the feeling that his head was going to roll off his shoulders, he started to make his way toward the nearby mountain. 

* * *

“What the- am interrupting something?!” Zuko screeched, having to push through the wind and rain that whirled out from the cave where he saw Katara and Aang, the latter of whom was just glowing in what Zuko _assumed_ was the Avatar state. He hadn’t seen it personally, besides the big Roku projection, but Sokka told him Aang’s eyes would turn white and he would start to glow, all of which was usually accompanied by monsoon level winds. Scary. Luckily, Katara had snapped Aang out of it as Zuko approached. 

“It’s fine… he’s fine,” Katara called to him. Entering the cave, Zuko shook his head around to try and dry it out from the worsening downpour outside. He looked around and saw Appa start to doze off, Aang clinging to Katara, and Momo hopping around, probably looking for Sokka… who wasn’t around. 

“Uh… what just happened? And where is Sokka?” 

Katara sighed, gently pulling away from Aang. “Sokka hasn’t come back yet,” She said, “And some stupid fisherman said something really rude to Aang…”

“I was just explaining to Katara why I neglected my duties as the Avatar for so long,” Aang briefed, face darker and more vulnerable than Zuko had ever seen it. 

“... The iceberg…?” 

“Yeah… I was just telling Katara about how some of the elder monks wanted to send me away to the Eastern Air Temple and I… I freaked out! Because I didn’t want to leave my home, and also because they… they were doing it to separate me from Monk Gyatso…” 

Monk Gyatso… Zuko remembered Aang talking about him when he recited a pie recipe the monk had been famous for. The firebender assumed Monk Gyatso and Aang were close, like in the way Uncle and him were.   
He guessed if a bunch of people wanted to take him away from Uncle without reason, Zuko would probably go into his equivalent of the Avatar state as well. 

“... And I was so scared that I just,” Aang continued his story, “Ran. I took Appa out in this _horrible_ storm, and I guess I froze myself… in the iceberg, and I never saw Monk Gyatso again, and the Fire Nation attacked after. So, that fisherman was right, I turned my back on the world. I was selfish and I failed to protect my people.”

The airbender tucked his head into his knees. Katara rubbed his back in sympathy while Zuko leaned against Appa’s warm fur, unable to find any words to console the young boy. He understood him a bit more now, at least, but Zuko related too closely to the burden of responsibility to find the right words of comfort. 

“But Aang, if you wouldn’t have run away, you wouldn’t be here now. You… you could’ve been killed with the other airbenders. You’re being way too hard on yourself. Now that you’re back, people have a new hope anyway, so it all worked out in the end, right?” 

See, Katara was much better at words than Zuko was.

“I… I guess. I mean, I wouldn’t have met you, so I guess there is a bright side.” 

_Ugh, gag._

Now that Katara and Aang were back to their mushy selves, their attention turned to Zuko. 

“Were you actually able to afford anything in that town?” Katara asked, “I hadn’t realized we were running so low on money…” 

“Thanks for the reminder…” Zuko muttered, fishing out the ointment he had purchased earlier. His concern for Aang had made him almost forget about the ache that covered half his face. He sat and began to apply the salve, already feeling the areas that could easily split. 

“Where’d you get the money to buy that?” Katara demanded at the same time Aang asked, “What’s that?” 

“It’s burn salve. And I carry my own money.” 

Aang opened his mouth, but Katara spoke up first. “Why didn’t you tell us?” She pouted, arms crossed, “Sokka wouldn’t have taken that rude fisherman’s job, then.” 

“Wait, Sokka got a job-”

Zuko was cut off by cries of help coming from outside the cave. 

The aforementioned fishermen’s wife sniffled about her husband being caught in the storm, which was rapidly evolving into a tropical storm of sorts. Realizing Sokka was stuck in the middle of the sea with these conditions, the group separates from the fisherman’s wife to search for the two. 

Zuko had been through a couple of storms, a few of which the _Wani_ almost didn’t survive. Something about being caught in a storm in the middle of the ocean gave a primordial type of fear, lightning flashes often accompanied by visions of your own life passing your eyes. 

The rescue operation was a blur, mostly because Aang made use of his freaky Avatar powers and did most of the work. They had also been plunged into the freezing cold water multiple times, so maybe Zuko’s brain cells were too cold to remember. 

Once back at the cave, the firebender tried his best to control his breathing and make his fingers less like popsicles. With a goodbye to the fisherman and his wife, the group waited for the storm to clear before climbing onto Appa. While the others set course for the ruins of Taku, Zuko continued to make himself as warm as possible, even breathing out smoke. Even being close to that water was a good way to get sick, and he had been soaked in it. 

After a few minutes of being up in the air, Zuko felt a weight fall against his side. His eyes cracked open to see Sokka… cuddling himself into the firebender’s side. 

“... Sokka?”

“Mhm… yeah?”

“What are you doing?”

Sokka sniffed. “... Warm.”

Rolling his eyes, Zuko relaxed again took time to rest. 

* * *

Sokka got sick. Like, giggling, hallucinating, sweaty sick. Zuko could tell Katara was coming down with an illness as well, but she was trying to push through it to help her brother out. 

Aang came back to the building the group was hiding in with a map, stating an herbalist lived near here and there was a chance he could get medicine for Sokka. 

“I’ll come with you,” Zuko offered, helping Katara stand up from where she had a coughing fit. 

“No,” Aang stated firmly, “You can keep them warm, I can go alone.”

_There’s no way this could end well…_

“Aang, I don’t think that’s-”

“Please, Lee? Airbenders can only regulate their own temperatures, it’s better if you take care of them,” The Avatar pleaded. 

“Fine,” Zuko resigned himself, “But if you aren’t back after sunset I will literally drag you back here, medicine or no medicine. You know the Fire Nation could be anywhere.”

“I know,” Aang nodded, “Please get Katara to lay down…”

“I will. Now, hurry up!”

“Affermative, Hotman!” 

_What-_

The airbender bounded out of the group’s temporary hideout. 

After what felt like forever, Zuko got Katara to lay down next to her brother, who was mumbling about Appa being ‘so funny’. 

For a while, Zuko just sat there, occasionally giving the two water, heating the room, and shoving Momo off the sick siblings. Sometimes they would talk to him, loopy as if they were drunk. It was mostly Sokka who blabbered on and on though.

“Hey, Lee?”

“What, Sokka?”

“Did you know your eyes look like mini suns?”

“... No I did not.”

“They do… like mini suns… and your hair looks like a mop!”

“... Thanks, Sokka.” 

“Of course!”

* * *

The sun had set. Aang wasn’t back yet and Zuko was getting antsy. 

He checked outside but as far he could see there were no signs of the airbender. With a sigh, he went back inside and strapped his swords to his back and his mask to his belt. He set the canteen of water he had been giving to Sokka and Katara down and made a quick campfire that would hopefully maintain enough warmth for the bed-ridden Water Tribe siblings. Zuko turned to see Momo holding the canteen. 

“Okay,” He tried to explain to the animal, “Make sure they get enough of that water.”

Momo blinked at him, but Zuko didn’t take back the canteen. “Why did I just try to instruct a damn monkey…” He mumbled, walking out of the ruins and in the direction he knew Aang traveled. 

He finally got to the herbalist’s institute, where she gave him some lengthy anecdote about why she lived where she lived but Zuko was having none of it. He asked her if she’d seen Aang anywhere and she said he had gone down to the marsh below to pick up wood frogs. 

Zuko didn’t waste any time scanning the marsh. He didn’t find Aang, but he plucked a red-painted wooden arrow from the muddy marsh ground. Upon further inspection, a pit of dread filled his stomach. 

_How could I be so STUPID! The ruins of Taku are close to Pohai Stronghold… the Yuyan archers must’ve captured Aang!_

But… the Yuyan archers only took commissions. Mostly from the Fire Nation, yes, but someone had to have hired them to capture Aang specifically. 

There was only one person _that_ determined.

He slipped the Blue Spirit mask on and with it, the persona. 

* * *

Zuko gripped the undersides of the carriage, and his first thought after passing successfully through the gates was; _It should’ve been harder to sneak in here._

Maybe he was being cocky, but hey, stealth was something he sort of enjoyed doing, and he didn’t get to do it often. 

The carriage passed by a boisterous Zhao, speaking down to his troops about how he has captured the Avatar. Zuko snorted silently. 

_Not for long, asshole… not for long._

* * *

After a well-placed bucket helped him take out a firebending guard, Zuko finally found the chamber in which they were holding Aang. 

Poor kid was strung up by his arms in chains, and he was struggling until he finally noticed Zuko’s figure approaching. 

“You came!” He gasped. Zuko shushed him and put a finger to the mouth of his mask, to which Aang just grinned. 

He raised his swords and cleanly broke the chains holding the Avatar up. Aang rubbed his wrists and Zuko made a gesture for him to follow.

“W-wait up, I gotta get these frogs before they thaw out-!”

Zuko shook his head, rolling his eyes under the mask. He grabbed Aang’s wrist and dragged him away from the frogs that littered the floor. 

* * *

Everything was going pretty well. They went through the sewer for a while, which Aang noted: “smelled like Appa’s underside”. Things went south when they were scaling the wall that led outside and the fortresses alarms started to blare. 

Zuko and Aang fought well together. Their agility and love for quick strikes struck their enemies with a force that Zuko didn’t know they were capable of making. It was like fighting side by side with someone who knew every way you were going to move before you did. It was thrilling, and Zuko almost didn’t even think to worry about the possibility of losing. He didn’t even use firebending but he felt _in his element._

Of course, this feeling couldn’t last, as each time they got close to getting over the wall they were knocked down. The pair came tumbling down in front of the main gate when Zhao finally caught up to them. 

“If it isn’t The Blue Spirit and The Avatar, my least favorite faces! Well, I only need one of you alive, so-”

Zuko took the first risk that came to mind and pressed his dao into Aang’s throat. It was a threat, and Zhao got the message immediately. 

He scowled. “Open the gate.”

“B-but sir-”

“I said open the gate, dammit!” 

Zuko slowly backed out of the large metal gates, keeping his grip on Aang tight. He neglected to keep his alertness up, however, as the last thing he saw before everything went black was an arrow flying right at him. 

* * *

“-Lee? Lee?! Oh, thank the spirits, you’re awake!” 

Zuko groaned upon seeing Aang’s cheery face. “Wha- what happened?” 

“We escaped! Thanks for rescuing me!”

“Ugh… maybe next time don’t get caught, okay?” 

Aang giggled, but his face settled into something nostalgic. 

“You know,” He started, “You remind me so much of Kuzon… fighting side by side with you brought back all these memories… of course, nicer ones, before the war. Not to mention your sarcastic remarks!” 

Zuko tried for a small smile but he was pretty sure it came out as a grimace. His abdomen was not in good condition. “Glad someone likes my… well, Suki called it ‘humor’.”

Aang helped Zuko sit up and wrap his injury. The firebender raised his eyebrows at the bed of leaves Aang made him but said nothing. A comfortable silence settled between them as Zuko tried to make himself feel good enough to walk.

“I’m starting to think I’m glad I was stuck in that iceberg,” Aang blurted, making Zuko jump a little, “I mean… I can’t imagine if I never met Katara, Sokka, and you.”

“My Uncle would probably say something like, ‘Destiny works in funny ways,’” Zuko made an impression of his Uncle’s wise voice, “But I’m a little too tired for proverbs. Wanna head back?” 

* * *

The two stopped at the beginning of the ruins, giving Zuko a chance to sit down and relieve his injury. 

“Hey, Lee, I meant to ask,” Aang said, “Why did you need that burn salve? Back at the coastal town?”

Zuko stared at him. “Uh… have you seen my face?” 

“No- I- that’s not what I meant… like does it help, I guess?”

“If I don’t use it the skin could crack… bleed, too. It also numbs it a bit, scars always ache before and during storms.” 

“Oh,” He said, “How-”

Aang looked away like he was ashamed of what he was saying. 

_Oh. That._

“It’s okay. Everyone gets curious, I guess,” Zuko mumbled. Some of the Kyoshi Warriors had tried to ask him about the scar, and even some nosy customers had brought it up. He always said the same thing. ‘It’s not important’ or ‘I don’t want to talk about it’. But Zuko wanted so badly to be honest with Aang and the little ragtag group he found himself enjoying spending time with. They gave him more trust than they should and what did he give back? Nothing but fake names and backstories. 

So he decided to tell a semblance of truth. 

“This scar… it was a punishment. I… I made a mistake, and this was the discipline I received.”

Aang was about to say something, probably ask another question, but Zuko was saved by a familiar screech. 

“Hey! Momo!” 

The airbender became distracted with the lemur and declared they needed to follow Momo back to Sokka and Katara. 

Maybe the lunatic monkey wasn’t so bad after all.

* * *

“ _That’s_ what those frogs were for?!” Zuko exclaimed. He was getting second-hand disgust from watching Aang pop wood frogs into the mouths of the two delirious Water Tribe siblings. 

“Yup! The herbalist said this should cure them!”

“... Remind me _never_ to get sick near you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: tHiS FiC AiN't sHiT- *writes a 10k chapter* 
> 
> Sokka and Zuko had a big WHATDIDHESAYYYYYY moment when they heard Jet's speech jskfdlasfsdjk
> 
> yes, I introduced Daiko the medic for absolutely no reason... fanon Zuko season 1 crew just puts me in my feels- (yes it's my own OC, yes you may steal him... also his name means a type of Japanese drum. that's not important or anything but I guess I just named him after a drum I guess) I had fun making him and Zuko have the most AWKWARD conversation I've ever written.
> 
> Zuko, every time he rescues Aang or defends him: bitch IM A MOTHERRR!!! no DRAMA!!!
> 
> *clears throat* At this point in the story, Zuko knows that the Fire Nation is wrong, with the war and the colonizing and the genociding... but he still doesn't see that what his father did was cruel and wrong. Like in canon, he still believes his banishment and Agni Kai were justified. Which... is sad. But hopefully in character! That's why he was all broody about the scar question haha... ha... (pain)
> 
> But ANYWAY! I'm sure some of you noticed I had put up "chapter playlists" but... I took them away because I thought they looked gross. SO! what do y'all think of this idea: I build a playlist, songs in order of chapter inspo, then I reveal it at the end of this fic? that way, you can listen to the playlist and have a nice reread while I make season two! (just a thought, I just really want to share the music inspo, but this kinda makes it a fun game? like each fic season has a cool lil "yay you read it all" prize playlist on the last chapter?)  
> ... I may have already started making it-
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and have a wonderful holiday season! comments and kudos make miracles happen, y'all already know :) love ya!!


	8. Local Teen Is Tired Of Adults, More At 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, where do all these weird adults come from? A fortune-teller? A warrior? A bitter deserter? A mechanist? These kids can never catch a break, huh?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall probably thought i ditched bc i haven't updated and im sorry.. the holidays were really rough for me and i'm working though some emotions because my mom's going into surgery again and i JUST got out of my caretaker mentality so im just.. AHHHHRGH. but oh well. at least I have therapy tomorrow and avatar fanfiction today.   
> ... why do I feel the need to rant about things constantly girl bye
> 
> this fic hit 12k hits and im honest to god scared... I HOPE YOU ALL ARE SIX FEET APART >:( WE CAN'T HAVE A CROWD THIS BIG DURING A PANDEMIC!!! also 200 bookmarks you guys are insane im in fear 
> 
> um anyway shawties go get yourself a blanket and a snack and some water and some TIME BC WOO BABY THIS IS LONG :') enjoy
> 
> tw// intrusive thoughts (im not sure if the trigger warning is appropriate here but if that's a trigger for you it might become a theme thru this story so here's your warning)

“C’mon fish… wha-! Where’d my fishing line go?!”

“Uh… sorry?” 

Aang apologized at Sokka’s distress over the missing fishing line, holding up a necklace he was weaving (made of the previously mentioned fishing line) perfectly accented with a pink flower. Sokka grumbled and waded after the fish into the water, throwing the useless fishing rod at it in frustration. 

“How would you catch a fish with your hands, Lee?” 

“Uh..” Zuko thought for a moment, picking at the sand near the riverbank, “Punch it?”

Sokka raised his eyebrows in consideration. “Do you really think you could punch that fast?”

“I dunno. Maybe.”

“Hey, what if you punched the fish with your hand on fire? Would it pre-cook the fish- oh! Found my knife!” Sokka grinned at the sleek bone-white hunting knife he discovered in his pocket. The firebender rolled his eyes as the other boy jumped after the elusive fish. 

“Another necklace?” Zuko asked, turning back to Aang deadpan. Katara already wore the other one Aang had weaved out of dried grass on her wrist. 

“Yup! They’re fun to make, maybe I should teach you guys sometime!” The airbender offered. 

Sokka scoffed from behind Zuko. “Yeah, maybe focus on being the Avatar before being a jewelry maker.” 

“I don’t see why I can’t do both,” Aang shrugged, giving the necklace over to Katara. The girl smiled and slipped off her mother’s necklace, replacing it with the pink and white string. 

“How’s it look?” She asked with a pose and charming smile. Zuko heard Sokka faintly cheering at his accomplishment of catching the fish he had chased. 

It took everything in Zuko not to start laughing at Aang’s expression. The poor kid’s jaw dropped to the floor and the firebender could see his blush from the back of his head. 

“W-wow… it looks great!” 

“Smoochy smoochy! Someone’s in loooove!” Sokka teasingly drawled. 

Zuko snickered. He was startled out of his amusement by the sound of a slap, to which he turned to see Sokka’s cheek imprinted with a mark that looked suspiciously like a fin. 

“Oh, Sokka don’t be like that!” Katara berated, “Aang is a good friend… a sweet little guy, like Momo!” 

_ Ouch. _

Zuko, even with his lack of perception in social situations, could understand the agonizing torment of the ‘friend zone’. 

… Doesn’t mean he didn’t think it was funny. 

* * *

“Sokka, the egg—“

The platypus-bear egg that Sokka held over his head slipped and cracked, making slimy yellow liquid run down his hair. Luckily, or unluckily, the rain helped wash away the egg. 

The group had been given an umbrella by a strange man that somehow cheated death from a freaking platypus-bear, which Sokka was too prideful to go under, and Zuko stuck behind with him because Katara and Aang held the thing a bit too low for his head. The firebender wasn’t super tall, he was actually quite short, but he was too awkward to ask for accommodation. 

“Why aren’t you covering yourself from the rain?” Sokka grumbled. 

“Oh… I’m fine.”

“Dude, you could totally get a cold.” 

“So could you. But at least I can sorta… hold on…” Zuko stopped and shoved his hands under his armpits, making his breathing become even enough to raise his internal temperature. The rain stopped seeping into his clothes and rose off of him as steam. It simply evaporated before it touched him. 

This only lasted a few seconds before Zuko released it. 

“But I don’t really mind the rain,” he said, nonchalant. 

Sokka gaped at him. “Dude… that is so not fair.” 

“To be fair, it’s nothing but my breath of fire which… I shouldn’t be using it for rain… it takes a lot of effort,” Zuko then mumbled, “I just resigned myself to a nap.” 

Sokka sighed. “As long as you don’t get sick, man. I still think all this rain is a coincidence, not a prediction from— what was her name— Auntie Wu or whatever. I mean, of course, she knew it was going to rain! The sky’s been gray the whole day.” 

Katara called out in front of them, “Just admit you’re wrong and I’ll let you under the umbrella!” 

“Look, I’m going to predict the future now,” Sokka raised his arms, “It’s going to keep drizzling!”

The boy smiled when it kept raining, but only a few seconds later the rain came to a full stop. 

“Not everyone has the gift, Sokka,” Aang giggled.

* * *

Zuko drew his knees up to his chest and rested his cheek on his forearm, surveying the current location. Aunt Wu’s place resided in a small village by a mountain. It was cozy, and the seating pillows were a nice touch. The lady’s ‘take off your shoes at the door’ policy sort of reminded Zuko (what he knew) of Fire Nation common households. Although, he’d never really seen a place this brightly decorated. Uncle would have definitely gone all out with color like this back at the tea-shop if Zuko hadn’t put a stop to it early on. 

Bright colors hurt his eyes. And they made him feel too… upbeat. It took too much energy to look at bright colors. 

He declined a curd puff from the assistant of the apparent fortune-teller, Meng, and closed his eyes, hoping to get some rest while the girl tried to flirt with Aang. 

It only took a minute before Aunt Wu revealed herself, asking which one of them wanted to go first. Katara volunteered, and Zuko simply didn’t care enough to open his eyes. 

After a short conversation with Sokka, Aang excused himself to the bathroom. 

“This has got to be complete bullshit,” Sokka muttered, shifting around on his seating pillow. Zuko hummed in response.

“I mean, come on man, please tell me you’d not believe this crap!”

“I don’t get it, no,” Zuko huffed, “But it’s probably a spiritual thing… my Uncle would probably tell me to give it a chance.” 

“Well, are you going to? Give it a chance, I mean. Because seriously, there’s no way someone can  _ actually  _ predict the future. Maybe they could make an educated guess but… still smells like bullshit to me,” The Water-Tribe teen said, crossing his arms. 

“Eh, it’s not like I’m in the mood to talk about my future anyway.”

“Ugh, me neither,” Sokka agreed, “... Sorry for being so doubting, I just… ‘magic’ stuff like this is annoying, and half the time it’s absolute nonsense!”

“Don’t apologize… I like it when you're cynical.” 

“Really? That’s… uh thanks, Lee.” 

Zuko blearily peeked at the boy next to him. “It’s refreshing,” he stated, “You know, with Aang and Katara around. But you also remind me of Kovah. She had no filter, most of the time. So, when she was in a bad mood or something it was noticeable, which is nice. I hate trying to figure people out.” 

* * *

“That  _ was  _ bullshit!” Zuko yelled, trailing Sokka out of the fortune-teller’s place.

“See?! Seriously, how come she just walks out and looks at us and gives predictions! Katara took like ten minutes,” Sokka complained. 

Sokka and Zuko had been sitting in silence when Aunt Wu walked out and gave them both readings without even calling them in.

To Sokka, she said, “Your future is full of struggle and anguish, most of it self-inflicted.” 

Which… okay, Zuko had thought these fortune-tellers were supposed to tell you how many kids you were going to have, not how much pain you’d face. 

To Zuko, Aunt Wu simply looked him up and down. And then she  _ sighed.  _

Then the lady didn’t even let him call her out! She just immediately turned to Aang and dragged him into her main room. Zuko was honest to Agni offended. She could’ve made it less obvious in taking in his scar, too. It was like she read  _ that  _ instead of his palm. And while Zuko had gotten used to stares, that pitying look she gave him pissed him off. How could she act like she knew everything about Zuko by one glance? 

Well… at least she didn’t  _ say  _ anything, but still. The woman obviously didn’t recognize him as Prince Zuko, so she probably didn’t know the story of how he got it. She was just being rude.

Yeah. 

Zuko followed Sokka around quietly the rest of the afternoon. The Water-Tribe boy was adamant about proving to everyone in the village that Aunt Wu was pulling her predictions out of her ass. Each time he got more and more upset at the villager’s blind-worship of Aunt Wu and Zuko’s head hurt more and more from rolling his eyes. 

* * *

After Aunt Wu’s town reading, Zuko was intrigued by the notion that the mountain next to the village was actually a volcano, an active one at that. Aunt Wu predicted the mountain wouldn’t erupt  _ this _ year. But it wasn’t like Zuko was going to trust her anyway, especially not with something that dangerous. At least the group would leave soon… if Katara would stop going back to Aunt Wu for more predictions about her love life.

Volcanoes were a large part of Fire Nation history and geography. They created the islands of the nation, and people worshipped deities and spirits that the volcanoes created stories for. In Zuko’s tutoring lessons as a prince, they were also used as a symbol of what the Fire Nation should be. Strong, imposing, threatening, and unstoppable. Preventing an eruption was futile.

Volcanoes, from geography lessons rather than culture and philosophy lessons, also created new land and fertile soil. They expanded islands and helped grow natural biodiversity. Volcanoes were apart of nature, and while most eruptions could do more harm than good, it was all apart of a cycle. How people try to interpret that cycle is where the stories and double-meanings pop up. 

Zuko suffered silently through Sokka’s romantic advice to Aang (how can he really count aloofness as a flirting strategy?) which eventually led to a trip towards the huge volcano for a panda lily that Aang wanted to give to whoever he was trying to woo. Probably Katara, but for Sokka’s sake, Zuko didn’t say anything. 

Their trip to the mountain came to a halt when Sokka and Aang deducted that Aunt Wu was actually wrong and that the volcano would erupt soon.  _ Very  _ soon. The chamber of the volcano was filled to the brim with lava. 

* * *

No one in the village listened to Sokka’s warnings. They all had a completely false sense of security due to Aunt Wu’s ‘predictions’. The villagers even refused to evacuate. 

Until Aang tricked them into listening with a well-placed cloud. 

_ Seriously,  _ Zuko thought,  _ is it an airbender thing to be good at tricks and deception? Or is it just an ‘Aang is a little shit’ thing?”  _

* * *

Zuko tried his best to help with his friend’s plan to suppress the damage the volcano was inevitably going to cause by digging trenches. He poured all his annoyance at the entire village and their ignorance towards their situation into his shoveling. 

He also urged people to go faster. Urged… yelled… acted like a commanding officer at a boot camp… all one in the same, right?

Several earthquakes started to strike in rapid succession. They didn’t affect Zuko so much but the tremors seemed to really shake up the villagers. Earthquakes were common in the Fire Nation, except they were usually a lot smaller. The trenches were barely finished before Aang ordered everyone to evacuate. 

The lava was a mesmerizing but terrifying sight. It slowly crept through the pathways the local earthbenders had and seeped into the trenches. 

And it was going to overflow. 

* * *

_ “Prince Zuko? You missed dinner.”  _

_ “Uncle, capturing the Avatar is more important than dinner.”  _

_ Uncle sighed and took a seat across from Zuko, who had surrounded himself with a mountain of scrolls.  _

_ “You’ve been slaving over those scrolls all day. Why don’t you take a break?”  _

_ “There are no times for breaks!”  _

_ Iroh gave the young prince a hard look. “Alright. Well, can you at least tell me what you’ve learned then?” _

_ “I don’t have to tell you anything-” Zuko started, finally tearing his eyes away from his scroll to find his Uncle holding out chopsticks and a small bowl of rice. The prince’s stomach rumbled and he scowled, angrily snatching the bowl away from the old man, stuffing his cheeks full of warm steamed rice. With an ill-mannered gulp, he surrendered to his Uncle’s question.  _

_ “I was learning about the previous Avatar.” _

_ “Avatar Roku,” Uncle nodded, “A fire Avatar.”  _

_ “Yes. A fire Avatar killed by a volcano. Sounds quite pathetic.”  _

_ “Cruel irony makes for the most tragic of endings.”  _

_ Zuko glared at Iroh. “Would you stop with the proverbs already?! And his death was completely his fault anyway, it’s not like anyone could actually stop a volcano.” _

_ Uncle hummed. He knew something.  _

_ “What is it?” He grit his teeth.  _

_ “You know, according to legend Firelord Sozin witnessed Avatar Roku’s death.”  _

_ “Really?”  _

_ Prince Zuko had no real connection to Firelord Sozin besides blood. He was taught that Sozin was a great Firelord, one of the most powerful to be seen in eons. The man who brought greatness to the Fire Nation and started one of the longest wars in history. He was what a fire prince such as Zuko should aspire to be. Much more of a myth and symbol of power than a great-grandfather.  _

_ “Yes,” Uncle Iroh continued, “He and Roku knew each other in their youth. Though, things became sour between them. Sozin despised Roku.” _

_ “... Do you imply that Firelord Sozin let Avatar Roku die? Of spite?”  _

_ “I’m not sure of the full story, my prince. But, I can be sure that both the volcano and the Firelord were equally as lethal towards the Avatar. Does that information help you in your research?”  _

* * *

Zuko stood back with Sokka and Katara powerlessly as Aang subdued the volcano. Sokka expressed how impressed he was with his sister, while Zuko just tried to calm his nerves. He was so  _ scared  _ for Aang during that whole mess. The former prince didn’t even know if Aang knew how Roku died, but it was much too close for his liking. Luckily, Aang, underneath all his hyperactivity and goofy appearance, was a sharp kid under pressure. He took down a  _ volcano.  _ By all means of logic, that should’ve been almost impossible.

Although, it seemed this village rarely cared for logic. 

Even after Aang had pretty much single-handedly saved the town, the people still chalked it up to Aunt Wu’s prediction which technically never stated the volcano wasn’t going to erupt. She just said it wouldn’t destroy the village. Sokka got so upset that Zuko had to physically hold him back from fighting the man that had brought them here in the first place. Though Zuko may have shot the man a bitter glare behind Sokka’s back. 

* * *

“Dad was here.” 

The group had spent the past few minutes tracking the path of an apparent battle between a fleet from the Southern Water Tribe and a group of firebenders. 

He had already guessed the man had left to fight the Fire Nation when Sokka said it was an honorable decision to fight for the tribe during wartime, and Zuko guessed that made him an admirable father. No wonder Sokka seemed to miss him so much. Every kid was taught fighting for your country was a respectable path, so why wouldn’t Sokka look up to his father?

* * *

Zuko was awake like he usually was when other people were asleep. He silently kept his eye on Sokka. The other boy was staring into the campfire solemnly, holding the scimitar made of whale tooth that had led them to the Southern Water Tribe ship. 

A sudden rustle in the bushes broke both of their silence, Sokka jumping up and raising his boomerang while Zuko reached for his sheath. An adult, one with similar clothing to Sokka, stepped out of the shadows. He had long hair and a surprised expression on his face. The most noticeable thing about him though were the bandages that covered the upper left part of his torso near his arm.

“Sokka?”

“Bato?”

So the two knew each other. Zuko lowered his weapon and watched as Katara and Aang woke up, Katara matching Sokka’s excitement and Aang looking as confused as Zuko felt. 

The siblings were affectionately greeted by the older man, who was now obviously Water Tribe.

They started asking for their father, to which they were shot down and informed their father would be somewhere in the eastern Earth Kingdom. 

The man, Bato, invited them to his temporary home in an abbey, which was being used as an ointment and perfume center for a group of nuns. 

Aang introduced himself while Zuko stayed quiet, gathering his things.

When the group actually got to the tent Katara noted it looked just like their home. Looking around, furs and pelts covered every inch of the room. 

Aang grumbled something that Zuko couldn’t catch since his scarred ear was facing the airbender. 

“What’d you say, Aang?”

“O-oh, nothing.”

“No way! Stewed sea-prunes!”

Bato handed each of them a bowl of seas prunes. Zuko was hungry, so despite the gross smell he sucked it up and ate it. It wasn’t so bad, but the texture made it a little difficult to swallow. It made him miss Fire Nation food though. There was a stark contrast between seasoning food to be salty and seasoning food to be spicy. The Fire Nation fell on the spicy side while the Water Tribes probably stuck to salt. If he remembered correctly from his studies, salt was one of the more common minerals near the poles. 

He heard a gagging sound next to him and turned to find Aang pushing away his bowl. 

“Are you not going to eat?” He questioned. 

“No… I can’t anyway. Vegetarian, remember?” 

_ Oh, right. _

“Well you need something in your stomach,” Zuko stated, sliding over his bowl, “So give me the prunes, and drink the broth.” 

Aang mumbled his agreement and the prunes splashed into Zuko’s bowl.

“Careful, it’s pretty-”

Aang choked after taking a sip of the broth.

“- Salty.”

The Avatar eventually got over his pickiness and drank most of the broth. Zuko sat back and listened as Katara and Sokka droned on and on about stories back from their home. The firebender slowly chipped away at his doubled amount of sea prunes and tried his best not to cringe when Aang would try to interject only to be shot down.

He also tried not to feel jealous. There were very few stories he could remember from  _ his  _ home. Sure, he had good memories, but they weren’t the same as Katara and Sokka’s goofy stories about mishaps and hysterics. If he had to think of good ‘ _ stories’  _ from the Fire Nation, they mostly came out as, “One time my cousin taught me how to climb onto roofs,” or “I remember my father taking me to a cliff that had a nice view of Ember Island,” and “Azula and I used to steal dumplings from the palace kitchens and eat them beneath the bridge in the courtyard.” They were so easy to tell in one sentence that it made them seem boring. They weren’t notably epic or embarrassing or funny. They weren’t inside jokes or “you had to be there to see it” moments. But they were special if you saw it through Zuko’s eyes. 

“Now Sokka, before you bring up the octopus story, can you introduce me to your friend here? I’ve already met Aang… still haven’t quite registered that I’m in the presence of the Avatar himself though…” Bato said, scratching the back of his neck with his good arm. 

“Oh yeah,” Sokka turned his attention to Zuko, “Bato, this is Lee. Lee, Bato.”

“Lee huh?” The man said, “Tell me, where are you from, Lee?”

Bato’s bandage had been coming loose for the past hour. Zuko knew what was under it, and he knew the man had just been in a battle with firebenders. 

Agni, Zuko was so tired of adults staring at the left side of his face.

Sokka perked up to answer, “Oh, Lee’s from-”

“- I’m from the Western Earth Kingdom,” Zuko interrupted. For good measure, he added, “Thank you for your hospitality, sir.”

“Of course.”

If anything, Bato would probably assume Zuko was a product of an unfortunate Earth Kingdom mother if he really suspected him of being from the Fire Nation by his looks. Most people wouldn’t make the assumption in the first place, every nation besides the Water Tribes (due to their natural isolation) was pretty mixed, but Zuko knew Bato was most likely very weary from being in direct contact with enemy firebenders. 

After a moment, they went back to their previous conversations, which Zuko was fine with. He didn’t particularly mind being left out if it was a topic he had no interest in. 

Aang on the other hand seemed to be sulking. He was making it very obvious he was bored.

Zuko stood and cracked his back, picking up his and Aang’s bowls and staking them neatly where he wouldn’t forget to give them back to Bato. He tapped the Avatar on the shoulder and gestured for him to follow Zuko out of the tent. Sokka, Bato, and Katara didn’t seem to notice them leaving. 

“What are we out here for?” Aang questioned the moment they stepped out of the tent flap. 

“Training,” Zuko answered. 

“Training?! For what?”

“What do you think.”

Aang grinned, but his smile faded. “Is it just those regular meditations that you showed me again? Lee, I hate those…” 

“Actually, I think we could stand to try something different,” The firebender said, walking away from the abbey and into the grass clearing that was just on the outskirts, “You’re too restless, I don’t think meditations are right for you.”

They weren’t right for a young Zuko either. Even before he could really produce a full flame at age eight, he was put into firebending classes, as per usual for a fire prince. Zuko was restless and impatient, and he still was. In those classes, he was forced to act patient, which he now looks back on as being counterproductive in his learning. He faked meditations to avoid punishments for moving such as burns and wrist slaps and didn’t learn how to visualize or control his inner fire. Luckily he had his Uncle to show him ways to feed his inner fire while being active, which really helped when Zuko wanted to keep moving. Or refused to stop moving. 

“Alright, watch closely so you do it right,” He pointed to himself, “This is a hot squat.”

Aang blinked. “That… that’s a regular jump squat.” 

“Well, I just showed you how to do it physically. But it’s different from a regular squat. You have to think.”

Aang groaned.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. How did Uncle explain this again?

“You know that burning sensation you get when you finish doing squats, right? It starts in your legs, then travels to your core, until you’re all gross and sweaty. Think of the burning like it’s a flame. Each time you jump up, you bring your flame up until it spreads through your whole body, from your toes to the tips of your fingers.” 

“Where it eventually comes forward?” Aang asked, tilting his head. 

Zuko shrugged. “Something like that. I’m not letting you mess with a full flame until you know at least five katas though.” The firebender chose to ignore Aang’s whining. “Anyway, I want you to do forty of those. Visualize what I told you to  _ every. Single. Time.  _ Then after you finish that set, I want you to run to Bato’s tent, to the beach, then back here. Then forty more as soon as you get back.” 

“What?! I didn’t think firebending involved this much exercise…”

“The price of not doing meditations,” Zuko offered, smug. “Now, start before I change my mind and force you to sit for two hours instead.”

* * *

Lee gave Aang a harsh finger-flick on the head for trying to run with his airbending at first. It really hurt, and Aang was pretty sure it left a red mark on his arrow. So now he was panting as he finally reached Bato’s tent. 

_ How does anyone live without airbending… _

“-I should tell you, kids. I’m expecting a message from your father.”

Aang didn’t  _ mean  _ to listen to Bato’s conversation with Katara and Sokka, but he couldn’t help but eavesdrop when the tent flaps were just so thin!

“Really?” Said Katara’s voice. She was excited.

“When?” Demanded Sokka’s voice.

“Any day now. Your father said he'd send a message when they found the rendezvous point. If you wait until the message arrives, you can come with me, and see your father again.”

_ Wait… go with Bato? What about the North Pole? _

“It's been over two years since we've seen Dad. That would be so incredible! Katara!”

“I do really miss him, it would be  _ great _ to see Dad.”

They were already agreeing to go! Aang felt like he was going to… cry? Crumble? 

Airbenders didn’t have parents. Well, they did, but they weren’t in an active parental role. Most Air Nomads don’t even meet their parents unless they really wanted to. Aang never felt any connection to his parents, whoever they were. He had Monk Gyatso, and that was enough. Now that Gyatso was gone, he was supposed to have Katara and Sokka, and now even Lee. But now they were going to leave to find something Aang could never truly understand. He was going to be left again, and he didn’t want to have to find a new family. Aang was happy with the one he had, and he didn’t understand why things had to change  _ again. _

“It's been far too long, hasn't it?”

Aang couldn’t listen anymore. He started to run again, towards the beach. 

_ Why is it always me running? _

He decided Lee wouldn’t mind if Aang took a short break on the beach to catch his breath and wallow in self-pity. 

Of course, the siblings would choose their father over him, so why was he in such disbelief-

“I'm looking for Bato of the Water Tribe.”

Aang turned and found a messenger on an ostrich-horse waving a scroll around. 

“Oh, uh, I know Bato!” Aang called out.

“Make sure he gets this!” The man said, dropping the scroll into Aang’s hands.

Opening the scroll, he realized this was what Bato was waiting for.

The rendezvous point.

* * *

“By Agni’s light, what took you so long? I finished my meditation and you  _ still  _ weren’t here! I mean, if you keep disappearing I’m just going to assume Zhao captured you for the, what, third time? Now, start your- are you okay?” 

Aang looked really… out of it. Almost jumpy or sorry for something, which was unlike him at all.

“I’m fine. Time to start those hot squats!” The boy exclaimed half-heartedly, starting his crouching position. 

Zuko just shrugged it off. Aang was pretty odd anyway.

After the Avatar did around thirty hot squats, something fluttered out of his robes. Zuko raised his eyebrow and pointed to it. 

“What’s that?”

“Wha- oh!” Aang scrambled to pick up the parchment, but Zuko beat him to it, immediately holding it up and out of the short airbender’s reach. 

“H-hey! Lee, give that back!”

The kid tried to use airbending to reach the paper, but Zuko caught him by the collar with his free arm and held the boy at arm’s length. 

“This…” Zuko squinted at the paper, “This is a map? And that point on the Eastern Earth Kingdom, what’s that supposed to lead to?”

“Uh-uh! I’m not sure! Now give it-”

“Nope. Not putting you down until you tell me where you got this and what it means.”

“Lee!”

“Does it have something to do with why your run took so long?” 

“I-” Aang stuttered. 

“That’s not a no.” 

“Just- it’s just some mail, okay?! Put me-”

“Who’s mail?” Zuko asked. Aang stopped scrambling around in mid-air and grumbled. “What’d you say?”

“It’s Bato’s! It’s Bato’s, okay, now put me down!”

Zuko scoffed. “What were you doing with his mail… isn’t the Eastern Earth Kingdom where that guy said Sokka’s dad was?”

“... Yeah.”

“So…? What are you doing with a crumpled map of where the rest of the Water Tribe soldiers went?”

“I told the messenger that gave it to me that I knew Bato.”

Zuko dropped the kid and sighed. “Well, ten more hot squats and then we’ll go give this to him, okay?”

“No!”

The firebender crossed his arms. “No?”

“No! You can’t give it to him.”

“What, do  _ you  _ want to-”

“No!”

“... Aang,  _ why  _ are you stealing this man’s mail?”

“I’m not- I’m not… I just…”

“ _ Please  _ explain yourself clearly. One ear doesn’t make for the best mumble translator.” 

“... You only have one ear?”

“Stop changing the subject! Explain why we can’t just give this to Bato,” He shouted, waving the paper in front of Aang’s face. 

“Because if I give it to him Katara and Sokka are going to leave me!”

“... Why would they…?”

“I heard them!” Aang cried, “They- the map, it leads straight to their dad and… Bato offered to take them and they agreed.” The kid was so distraught he flopped onto the grass, drawing his knees up to his face and burying himself in a little ball of distress.

_ How do I even… approach this without getting Avatar stated to the closest island… _

“Um…” Zuko squatted down and pat Aang on the shoulder softly, “Listen, I’m sure they aren’t going to abandon mission…”

“They are,” Aang informed his knees, “I heard them. They’re gonna… they’re leaving m-me,” He said, starting to sob.

_ Oh, okay, crying, uh… _

“... Did you  _ ask  _ them about it?”

“N-no, but-”

“Aang, they’re just excited about the chance to see their dad. I’m sure you can understand…”

“No, no I can’t. Air Nomads don’t have parents, Lee. I don’t get it. I had Gyatso, and I  _ guess  _ he was like a father to me, but he’s gone!”

“But Sokka and Katara’s dad isn’t gone. In war, there’s never a guarantee… there’s never a guarantee that people will come back.”

“Yeah. What if Katara and Sokka never come back to  _ me _ ?” 

_ Oh, this is deeper than I wanted to go…  _

Zuko was silent for a minute. “You still shouldn’t take Bato’s mail. Maybe we could convince Sokka and Katara to stay but… don’t hold it against them if they leave. If they don’t? Great. We all go to the North Pole together. If not? Then you still have Appa, Momo, and… me. I know my Uncle can and  _ will _ handle himself, so I’ll see him when the time comes. Sokka and Katara don’t exactly have that luxury, you know?”

“I guess… I just… I don’t want to lose another family.”

_ Uncle Iroh, if you could somehow telepathically give me your words, I’m all for it. Anytime now, just drop a proverb.  _

_ … I can’t believe I just asked for that. What is wrong with me? _

“Um. Well,” Zuko started, hoping an inspirational quote would make itself up, “Families are like… stewed sea prunes!”  _ Off to a great start.  _ “When you look at one, you think, ‘it doesn’t look that bad!’,”  _ Okay this could go somewhere… keep going!  _ “But then you smell them, and you lose your appetite.”  _ Where am I going with this…  _ “But you still give them a try! And you realize the taste is a little strong, and you’d rather be eating something else,”  _ Agni, Uncle, I need you guys to work together to fix this,  _ “Still, you stick with the prunes because it’s what you have to eat, and you’re hungry. Even if they’re too salty, they still offer some sort of nutrition right?” 

Aang blinked at him. An awkward silence filled the quiet night air between them.

“... Aren’t families supposed to be good though?” Aang asked, concerned.

Zuko threw his hands up in the air. “Forget what I said! Point is, I want you to take this,” Zuko pressed the parchment into Aang’s hands, “And give it to Bato. Then talk to Sokka and Katara!”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Yeah, well…”

“What would  _ you  _ say to them?” Aang teased, starting to mock Zuko’s sea prune speech.

Zuko flicked him,  _ hard.  _

“Ow!”

“Please, just go back to the tent. Give the map to Bato and talk to Sokka and Katara.”

“What about you?”

“Oh, I don’t want to be there.”

“What?!”

Zuko stood up and gave Aang a hand. “You guys will just ask my opinion or something, and I’m not in the mood. I’m going to go find a tree to climb or something. Just be glad you shaved ten hot squats off your set. Good luck.” 

“Lee, please come with me-”

“Nope. ‘Night, see you tomorrow.” 

Aang looked like he was going to ask again, but after realized Zuko was staying rooted to his spot he just shook his head and turned to walk back to Bato’s.

Zuko flopped back into the grass as soon as Aang left his view. Besides being mentally exhausted from the trainwreck of a conversation, he wasn’t fond of having to sleep in the same room as Bato, who really only looked at Zuko to ogle at his scar. If he was being completely honest, tonight just felt like one of those nights where he wasn’t fond of sleep, and sleep wasn’t fond of him. 

The firebender lay down, facing the stars. He wondered if Aang truly considered Sokka and Katara his family. 

Zuko… couldn’t. Zuko had his own family. He had his sister, his uncle, and his father. At some point, he had Mom and Lu Ten. He wished he knew when exactly he would’ve lost them, so he would’ve memorized their faces, or their voices, or the moments they had together. 

Sometimes he felt as if he’d lost Azula too. He hadn’t seen his little sister in almost three years. If she died, would he know? If he died, she wouldn’t care of course, but Zuko knew Azula before she started acting all heartless and cruel. He remembered how her eyes lit up at food and how she used to clap and get so happy when she learned new things, but Zuko felt as if that little girl was dead. Her awe at everything stopped so young, and suddenly she was above everything and everyone. The girl that killed animals for fun, the fire that burned people for pleasure, the face that smiled while he was being burned and humiliated; it was another girl entirely. They couldn’t be the same. Maybe Zuko would never be close with his little sister, but he loved his baby sister. He missed her. 

And Father. But Father was different. Zuko couldn’t remember a time the man’s face hadn’t been cold looking at him. Zuko tried so hard to appease him, every day of his life, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing worked. He tried not to think about how he gave up on his biggest goal. When he got banished he still thought he had a way to gain his father’s love and be welcomed into his arms, but he came to terms with the fact that both his father’s love and the Avatar were ghosts to him because by chasing them he would only make the world a worse place. 

Well, The Avatar wasn’t exactly a ghost anymore. He could capture Aang, but he wouldn’t, he’d already formed an alliance with him and his friends. Plus, capturing the airbender would be impractical in the long run if Zuko really wanted the Fire Nation to stop being oppressive. 

_ But you should’ve done it. _

_ All you had to do was drag him out here and put his arms in chains. _

_ Or you should’ve just done it quick. A sword to the chest- _

_ Hands around his throat- _

_ Your fire should’ve pierced his chest- _

Zuko’s face scrunched up and he pulled at his hair. It was getting longer. 

The former prince’s brain liked to wander. He knew he wouldn’t hurt Aang or capture him on purpose. Sometimes, immoral thoughts crept up on him so quietly he wondered if it was really his own head saying awful things. He’d been like this ever since he joined the Avatar’s group. After Uncle told him he wasn’t happy with his life on Kyoshi Island he was thrown in a loop. Zuko was born being prepped to someday be on the Fire Nation throne, but his own failings forced any chance he had of being Firelord away. He wasn’t even sure he wanted the throne anymore, or if he ever wanted it at all. Maybe he was just told to have that goal. 

Uncle liked to say Zuko had a one-track mind. First, as a child, he wanted to be just like his father and spread the greatness of the Fire Nation. After seeing for himself the Fire Nation was spreading lies and terror instead of greatness, he focused on his father’s task of finding and capturing the Avatar instead, hoping that he could at least go home and figure out the Fire Nation’s problems there. But seeing the destruction of the remains of the Air Nomad genocide had proved to be too much, and he couldn’t go through with trying to capture an airbending Avatar and putting them at the mercy of the Fire Nation. He failed every single goal he ever had, becoming empty, filling the ever-growing void with the friends and routine he made on Kyoshi Island. If nothing changed, he couldn’t fail. 

But then somehow, he was convinced into teaching the Avatar firebending, and he had a new goal; help bring peace to the world. It was a lucky thing he was persistent because if he failed this goal, Zuko wasn’t sure he’d have anything left. 

Zuko stared at the stars and told himself out loud, “I do not want to capture the Avatar. I want to help him,” hoping that affirmation was enough to dispel the voice that kept him stuck in an old and beaten objective. 

“Hey, kid!”

Zuko scrambled up, surprised by the gross looking snout that was blocking his view of… well everything. Springing to his feet and backing away, he got a better view of the creature— and the woman who was riding it. 

“Don’t be too scared, it’s just a shirshu. She probably won’t paralyze you.”

_ Probably?!  _

The lady laughed, dismounting her beast. 

_ Oops, guess I said that out loud. _

“Listen, I don’t want to scare those prissy nuns down in the abbey,” She said, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket, “So I’ll ask you. Have you seen The Blue Spirit?”

Zuko snatched the paper away from her to get a better look. An accurate depiction of his spirit mask stared back at him.

_ The Blue Spirit: _

_ Wanted for treason, disruption, assault. _

_ Description: A young male firebender who travels with the Avatar. Wears all black with dark green dual dao sheaths and mask (pictured above). Does not speak often; has a raspy voice with a slight lisp.  _

_ Weapons: Dual Dao swords, firebending _

_ Approach cautiously; sighting report to Admiral Zhao of the Fire Nation.  _

“... No. I uh… haven’t seen this guy. Not anywhere. At all. Ever in my life!” Zuko cringed at his voice becoming louder. He cleared his throat, trying for a more casual tone. “But, could I um… keep the poster? Just in case I do see him, you know?”

“Sure kid. I’ve got tons, and that gross Admiral Zhao got me to do the dirty work of pasting them up,” She rolled her eyes, “Name’s June, and this here’s Nyla.”

The shirshu, Nyla, began to sniff Zuko. After a moment, she softly bumped his chest with her snout, causing Zuko to stumble a bit. 

“Huh. She actually likes you. Weird,” June raised an eyebrow at her shirshu, who grunted lowly, “Well, I ought to be off. See ya, kid.”

“Uh, see ya.”

June cracked her whip, causing Nyla to surge forward and ride off into the night with her owner. 

Zuko stuffed the wanted poster into his bag, sighing. The sun would rise soon. 

* * *

“Good morning Lee!” 

Sokka’s voice made his ears ring as he finally approached the tent. The sun had just come up, so…

“What in Agni’s light are you so happy for? Also, you are  _ never _ up this early. Are you sick again?”

“What? No!” Sokka exclaimed, “It’s just that Bato’s taking us ice dodging!”

“Ice… dodging?”

“Water Tribe custom,” Bato’s voice startled the firebender, “Every young Water Tribe kid becomes a man once they go ice dodging. And Sokka never got the chance to do it when he was fourteen, so today is a big day.”

“Yeah it is!” Sokka cheered, pumping his fists in the air. 

Aang popped out of the tent and gave a tired wave to Zuko. “Mornin’,” He yawned. 

“It is morning. Did you do… what I told you?”

“What’d you tell Aang to do?” 

Apparently, it was ‘let’s not announce our presence day’ because Katara was the third person to startle Zuko this early. Aang started to chuckle anxiously.

“Well, about that…” The airbender said, uncharacteristically ignoring Katara. 

“Aang.”

“You know it was just so late,” 

“ _ Aang. _ ” 

“I just didn’t want to bother anyone!” 

Sokka scratched the shaved part of his head. “What are they talking about?” He asked Katara. 

“Avatar Aang, come over here right now,” Zuko gestured to the spot next to him. Aang shamefully (at least he had the decency to have shame) walked towards him. 

Zuko flicked him, right at the tip of his arrow. 

“Ouch! That hurt more than last time!” 

“It was supposed to. Now give Bato that stupid map before I do it again.”

Yeah, Zuko definitely had a headache. Besides his friends not knowing that morning is supposed to be quiet, he also had to sit through an awkward apology from Aang, a small yet dramatic outburst from Sokka and Katara, an explanation for his actions, then reassurances from the siblings,  _ then  _ a group hug between the three, the firebender had no idea how he didn’t have a migraine. He stood awkwardly to the side as Bato put his hand on Aang’s shoulder and forgave him. 

“It’s good you kids are sticking together,” He smiled, “Travelling alone is dangerous. I understand why you were scared.”

Aang gave his first genuine smile to Bato. 

“Well, now that this is all good and solved, can we go ice dodging?” Sokka asked, hands jittering in anticipation. He was  _ really  _ excited about ice dodging.

A few minutes later the group made it to the beach, and Bato started preparing his ship. Since there was no ice, he said they were going to ‘ice-dodge rocks’.

“An ice-dodging team is made up of three crew members and a supervisor. Which means one of you has to...” Bato trailed off, sounding apologetic. Zuko raised his hand, volunteering himself to stay behind. He was really tired, and he knew sailing took a lot of energy. And he only had experience on the  _ Wani _ , a large metal ship. Just looking at Bato’s small wooden ship made his muscles want to tense. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come Lee? I’m sure we can work something out!”

“It’s fine. I’m uh… not really in the mood anyway.”

Katara raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. It seemed to be her signature pose. “Lee… did you even get back to the tent last night?” 

“He didn’t,” Aang blurted, letting out a squeak when Zuko shot a fierce glare at him, “Sorry!”

“Whatever,” Zuko sighed, “I’m going to go relax on the beach. Try not to crash into rocks and… have… fun?” 

“Will do! Do us a favor and sleep, dude!” Sokka called out, hoisting himself onto Bato’s ship. 

“I’ll try…” He grumbled back. Upon the ship’s departure, Zuko’s gaze wandered to a large rock. Hesitantly, he sat in the sand and pressed his back into the sunbathed stone. Before he knew it, his eyelids started to flutter closed. 

* * *

“The spirits of water bear witness to these marks.”

Zuko stood off to the side, still dreary from his oddly peaceful nap, facing his friends who had completed the tradition of ice-dodging. They each got some sort of mark that signified the role they took during the feat. Sokka got the mark of the wise, Katara the mark of the brave, and Aang the mark of the trusted. 

“Mr. Bato, sir,” Aang grimaced, “Knowing what I did earlier, I’m not sure I really deserve the mark of the trusted.”

“Don’t be silly,” Bato smiled, “The fact that you gave up the map and were able to show vulnerability qualifies you enough.”

Aang seemed to shy at the compliment, mumbling, “Lee really helped…” 

Zuko startled at his mention, flushing with denial. 

“Yes,” Bato agreed, “I see Lee is an invaluable member of your team.”

Before he could really react to that, Zuko found Sokka slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Which is why he needs to  _ sleep more, _ ” He said, poking Zuko in the chest, “You make me feel like a chump for going to bed when the sun sets and waking up at midday.”

Annoyed at his lousy sleeping habits being exposed, Zuko shoved Sokka off of him. The firebender’s snappy attitude never wiped the grin off of Sokka’s face.

“Well, today has been so great, but I think we really ought to start packing. The North Pole awaits!” He declared. Sokka gave Bato a tight hug, his gratitude written clearly on his face, before challenging Aang and Katara saying, “The last one to the supplies is a rotten platypus-bear egg!” 

With the group racing off and Zuko still not awake enough to run, he was left at the beach with Bato, who was quietly chuckling at the kid’s antics. The man cleared his throat.

“Um, Lee…” He said, sealing the purple substance he had used for the marks, “I just wanted to say thank you, for traveling with Katara and Sokka. I’ve known those kids a long time, and they haven’t had too many friends of their own age.”

“O-oh. It’s… no problem, sir,” Zuko replied. He didn’t have much of an opinion on Bato other than ‘if Sokka trusts him, he must be alright’. 

“You don’t need to call me sir,” Bato laughed, “I’m off-duty.”

Zuko didn’t know what being off-duty had to do with honorifics, but okay. 

“... Look, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Bato sighed, walking side by side with Zuko towards his place in the abbey, “But…  _ they  _ hurt you too, didn’t they?”

Suddenly, the young firebender was very aware that his scar was facing Bato. He frowned. Bato and Zuko were different. The latter had gotten his injury because he was cowardly and naive. Bato had gotten his injury from fighting for his life, for the honor of his people. Zuko didn’t know how to tell him that, so he just gave a stiff nod. 

“I am sorry. You are… so young. To see you kids fighting for the right thing, sometimes even more than us adults, it’s quite heartbreaking. And inspiring, but…” Bato trailed off. Zuko gave him no response.

It had been a long time since he’d considered himself a kid, really. 

“Son, I just want you to know you are not alone,” He persisted, “There’s me, Sokka and Katara’s father the Cheif, and the entire Water Tribe fleet backing you kids up. I already told Sokka this but… I feel you need to hear it too.” 

Zuko noncommittally hummed, before really registering what Bato had said. 

“Wait… Sokka and Katara’s father is the… Chief of the Southern Water Tribe?!” He asked, eyes wide.

Bato chuckled. “Did they not tell you?”

* * *

Sokka never thought he’d be angrily approached by a firebender demanding to know whether or not he was a prince and find it funny, but there he was, wheezing his guts out. 

Prince Sokka. It had a pleasant little ring to it. 

Leaving Bato behind was surprisingly easier than he expected, and Sokka even had a good feeling he’d see the man again someday, hopefully with his father as he climbed atop Appa’s back. For once he felt close to seeing Dad again, even if he was going in the opposite direction. 

* * *

“Hey, Lee! Look, it’s… you!” 

Sokka shoved the Blue Spirit poster in Lee’s face, who didn’t even look surprised. “Looks like they made one for Aang, too,” He sighed, pointing to another wanted poster on the bulletin. 

“Aw, it looks just like me!” Aang said, popping up behind the two teenagers while holding a piece of paper in his hands.

“Yeah Aang, maybe that’s why it’s a wanted poster,” Sokka shot back, “This is bad.” 

“Huh…” Lee grumbled, “Look’s like they edited my poster…”

“What do you mean?”

Lee pulled something out of his pocket. “I got this poster from some bounty hunter that passed through the nun’s abbey. It says my weapons are firebending and my swords… but this poster notes that my fire’s colored.” 

“Must be a typo…” Sokka then registered what his friend had said, “Did you just say your fire is colored?!” 

“Yeah… and it can’t be a printing error, because June went the opposite way… I guess they had to reaffirm what they saw,” Lee concluded, smug. Upon seeing Sokka’s confused expression, he explained. “When I fought the Agni Kai with Zhao, I used… colored fire. It probably confused the shit out of him, so he must’ve either updated the posters or sent two different copies out.”

“Is colored fire rare?” Aang asked. 

“It’s… well, it’s complicated.”

The airbender unfolded the paper he was holding. “Do you think we’d see some at the Fire Day’s festival? It says here there will be cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, and magicians!” 

“Let me see that,” Lee scoffed, snatching the poster. Sokka watched as Lee’s grumpy demeanor became something of a child looking at a piece of candy, though he could tell the firebender was trying to hide it by keeping his face neutral. Katara walked over and plucked the paper out of Lee’s hands. Sokka tried not to notice his pout. 

“Aang, it’s better if we keep moving. If they have posters you might get caught,” She said. If Sokka hadn’t just seen the eager eyes Lee made at the poster he’d probably heavily object to going to the festival too, but now his curiosity was peaking. 

“Well,” Sokka tried to reason, mostly with himself, “We can’t just walk into a Fire Nation town where they’re all… fired up, with their… fire.” 

“Hey,  _ I’m  _ all fired up with fire,” Lee deadpanned, “Anyway… I think the festival could be a... good opportunity for Aang to see how firebending can be used in a non-combative way.”

“Yeah! This could be my only chance to watching firebending up close without it being thrown in my face or Lee yelling at me!” Aang pointed out. 

“I don’t yell at you!” Lee yelled. 

“And,” he said, ignoring the firebender’s remark and forcing a serious tone, “I should take any educational opportunity my Sifu suggests.” 

Lee rolled his eyes, having expressed his annoyance with being called ‘Sifu’ many times, stating it made him feel old, like his uncle. 

“Fine,” Katara caved, “We’ll wear disguises, and if it seems like trouble we’ll leave.”

“Yeah,” Sokka remarked sarcastically, “Because we always leave before we get into trouble.”

* * *

Sokka didn’t see how just putting hoods over their heads could count as a disguise, but it was the best option they had. Lee decided not to wear his mask, saying even though it was a Fire Nation caricature it would still make him suspicious, especially since he refused to abandon the swords on his back. 

Lee then muttered something to himself about his scar, and Sokka didn’t miss how the firebender positioned his hair to cover the burn more. 

Upon walking through the entrance, Sokka gaped at the people walking around in mask similar to Lee’s Blue Spirit one. 

“Looks like you would’ve blended in more with your mask, dude.” 

“I can’t risk it,” Lee shook his head, wrapping his head covering tighter, “Look. They’re handing out free masks over there.” 

The group walked up to the stand, Sokka and Aang grabbing the first mask they could find, Katara taking a second to select hers, and Lee looked at the masks like they caused him physical pain. In the end, Katara had chosen a mask with a lady in makeup, and she’d made Sokka and Aang switch masks, Sokka getting a red mask with a frown on it (hey, what was that supposed to mean, Katara?!), and Aang getting one with a huge dopey smile on it. When Lee finally turned around, he had chosen a purple mask with a lizard-looking face and small tufts of yellow on the side as a mane. 

“Hey, there’s some food!” Aang exclaimed pointing to a stand. 

_ Well, don’t mind if I do! _

When asked what he sold, the man at the stand pushed a small drawstring bag towards Sokka, saying they were “flaming fire flakes”.

“I’ll take ‘em!” Sokka happily shoved a few in his mouth. 

Sokka could not take ‘em.

Through his incessant spluttering and choking, Sokka could hear someone’s laughter. Once his eyes recovered enough from the spice, he saw Lee’s frame shaking, hand over his stomach like he was trying to steady himself. Then Sokka realized the laughter was coming from  _ Lee.  _

It was the most hearty, genuine laugh he’d ever heard from Lee! Lee’s laughs were usually snickers or repressed chuckles, but this gravelly burst of joy was totally new to hear. And nice to hear. Even if it did come at the cost of Sokka’s suffering. But he didn’t really mind the inferno on his tastebuds when he’s made Lee so happy. The only thing that would’ve made it better is if he could’ve seen his face.

“Ha! Ha… oh wow, Sokka. They are  _ not  _ that bad!” He wheezed. 

“Wha-! They are!” Sokka squawked, “If you’re going to be so judgy about it how about  _ you  _ try them!”

“Gladly,” The firebender said, lifting his mask to reveal a rare grin. He snatched the bag of fire flakes from Sokka and grabbed a handful, happily munching away on them like a raven-chipmunk as if they didn’t contain the heat of the sun itself. 

Sokka had the strangest urge to wipe off two crumbs that had made their way onto the firebender’s cheeks.

* * *

In true Team Avatar fashion, something had to go wrong. In true  _ Sokka  _ fashion, he was impressed with the man that had just helped them escape some Fire Nation bastards by exploding a pile of fireworks. It was definitely the kind of flair Sokka liked to see in an escape. 

Then, “Wait, you’re a Fire Nation soldier!” Sokka exclaimed. Had they really just let the enemy on Appa?! This was more flair than he’d signed up for. 

“I  _ was, _ ” The man said, “My name’s Chey.” 

* * *

As soon as Appa landed, Zuko hopped off, purple mask still strapped to him, and asked the group if he could talk to Chey, alone. If Chey truly was a deserter he might recognize him. Plus, Zuko needed to know who and where this guy had served. To Zuko’s surprise, they trusted him enough to ask Chey questions alone. 

He crouched down to Chey’s level, who was sitting against a tree while Sokka, Katara, and Aang set up camp far enough away to not hear Zuko if he spoke normally. 

With one swift motion, he slid the cheap festival mask off. 

“Who do you serve?” He demanded. 

Chey froze, giving Zuko a once over. 

“No…” Chey breathed, “It’s- how- Prince… Zuko?” The man reached out, too close to Zuko’s face for comfort, and the teen jerked away. 

Again, Zuko ordered, “Who. Who do you serve? Are you truly a deserter?” 

The man seemed to startle and try to stand, but Zuko grabbed his arm. Chey began to mutter something about being stupid. 

“I- I- sir, please, I beg of you, do not report-”

“I’m not here to report you of being a deserter,” Zuko rigidly reassured, “I want to know who you serve. I’ve only heard of one man who has survived deserting the Fire Nation, and you are not him.” 

“Even… even if the stories are true,” He faltered, “I- I can’t risk telling- telling  _ you _ , of all people. Who’s to say you aren’t here to scope us out, huh? How do I know you aren’t trying to kill me?”

“Because,” Zuko desperately tried to get his point across, “We are in the same boat. I think. I don’t… I’m no longer royalty, really. My name is Lee.” 

“W-what?” 

“My name is Lee,” Zuko sighed, “And as of now, I don’t serve or support the Fire Nation army anymore, despite my military-sanctioned banishment. I am… I intend to help the Avatar restore balance to the world. You know what that makes me.”

Chey’s eyes widened. “Banishment… the stories are true, then. You are- or you were- Prince Zuko.”

Zuko looked down at the grass. He snapped back up when Chey placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“I know a man that served you. And I need you to know,” He paused, “No matter what name you go by, you will  _ always  _ be our prince. You fought for us soldiers when no one else would.”

Zuko’s breath caught. 

“Call… call me Lee, please,” He croaked, “All of that is behind me. The boy that fought for his country… he never left that war room. I am not your prince. No one needs to know who I was, back then.”

Chey surveyed him once again, noticing Zuko’s turn towards Aang and his friends. “I will respect your wishes, and your secret,” He sighed, “But that does not erase my respect for  _ you _ .” 

* * *

Sokka was just about done with this Chey guy. When Lee brought this guy back to the campfire Sokka was not expecting him to be a complete chatterbox. Specifically about his boss. Well, the guy he ‘served’. 

Lee had sat across from the man with his mask off. The firebending teen took great interest in the ground while Chey spoke, uncharacteristically having his mask off in front of a guy he barely knew. Sokka briefly wondered what Lee asked Chey, but then remembered he said his uncle was technically a Fire Nation deserter of some sort as well, so he just concluded it was probably an attempt at solidarity. 

“-But he couldn't take the madness anymore. He's the first person ever to leave the army and live. I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. That's okay though. Jeong Jeong's a firebending genius. Some say he's mad - but he's not! He's enlightened.”

“Hmm… sounds like another old man I know…” Lee mumbled. Sokka couldn’t help but snort despite knowing Lee only made the remark for himself. 

Aang perked up. “Hey, Lee?”

“What.”

“What do you think?”

Lee looked distracted. “What do I think? About what?”

“About Jeong Jeong!” Aang said, “Do you think I could learn something from him?”

“Aang,” Sokka interjected, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to find  _ another  _ crazy firebender. We already have one.”

Insulted, Lee opened his mouth to fire back at Sokka (pun intended), but Chey beat him to the punch. 

“He's not crazy!” he argued, “He's a genius! And he's the perfect person to train the Avatar! That's why I followed you into the festival.”

“Look, thanks for the help, but we have the perfect person to train the Avatar. Plus, we’re leaving for the North Pole in the morning,” Sokka reasoned. 

Lee cleared his throat before saying, “I’m not saying we need to take any more detours from the North Pole, but I… maybe Aang has a point. He might learn something from Jeong Jeong that I can’t teach him. I don’t have as much experience anyway.”

“It can't hurt just to talk to him,” Katara agreed.

Sokka groaned. He had been skeptical about the festival and  _ that  _ turned out bad. “That's what you said about going to the festival! Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?”

Lee pat his shoulder. “Sorry,” He whispered, “It’s just… I can’t trust myself to teach Aang everything there is to know about firebending. As soon as we find out what this guy is all about we’ll leave.”

* * *

Chey went ahead to ‘announce’ their presence to Jeong Jeong, and Sokka found himself scooting closer to Lee as some surrounding guards scrutinized them. 

Sokka was plenty happy when Chey declared that Jeong Jeong did not want to see Aang, but the kid decided to be stupid and march into Jeong Jeong’s tent with the intent of coming out with a secondary firebending teacher. This was a complete waste of time. 

* * *

And somehow the next morning, Sokka found himself at the edge of a river bed while Aang meditated a few feet away. Jeong Jeong took a strong liking to yelling at the kid, which, understandable, but he sounded kind of harsh. Though, Sokka could barely understand anything that was coming out of the old man’s mouth. 

Sokka realized as he finally got his first catch of the day that he hadn’t seen Lee around the whole morning. 

Eh, he was probably just fraternizing with the only other not-totally-evil firebenders on the planet. 

* * *

“Chey, why are you taking me here… oh shit.”

The tent flap flapped noiselessly behind Zuko as he stared at the face of a man he’d thought he’d never have to see again. 

“I see you haven’t given up your sailor potty-mouth,” Lieutenant Jee sighed, his familiar poker face unchanging, “Hey, kid.”

He stood and bowed, to which Zuko scowled. 

“Don’t… do that,” He said, gesturing in a disgusted manner, “It doesn’t feel right.”

“I apologize,  _ your majesty _ ,” the Lieutenant taunted with a smirk. 

Zuko rolled his eyes. It was  _ not  _ something akin to fondness. Totally not. “Shut up. I’m sure Chey told you I go by Lee now. No more empty titles.”

“Hmm… why?”

Zuko startled at the man’s tone. “What… what do you mean, Lieutenant?” 

“Hey, if you ain’t a prince kid, then I’m no Lieutenant. What I mean is; why? What in Agni’s name changed your mind? I am supposed to believe you just up and left your mission out of nowhere? You were more dedicated to that absurd task of chasing the Avatar than you were with breathing. And now I hear you’ve gone full traitor with him!”

“I- I haven’t gone  _ full  _ traitor! I keep my former identity a secret, and I’m only helping the Avatar because it’s his duty to bring balance to the world. Balance that the Fire Nation refuses to acknowledge they’ve fucked up.”

Jee nodded in agreement. “What happened to... going back home? Reclaiming that throne you always screeched about and... returning to... your father?”

Zuko paused for a moment, not wanting to give a response. 

“I’m… I’m starting to think even if I captured the Avatar, my father wouldn’t have wanted me home anyway,” Zuko blurted, tone sharp, and he disregarded Jee’s taken aback expression, “He was teaching me a lesson in respect, I might as well respect his wishes and stay banished.” 

Zuko felt a little surprised at the words that left his mouth. He didn’t even mean to say it, but…

“Wow. You… really changed. Well,” Jee changed the subject clumsily, “I’m sure you know General Iroh paid the crew off, and we all went out separate ways. I knew Jeong Jeong in my military days, and he let me stick around with his run-down group of deserters. I’m old, but not old enough for the Fire Nation to leave me alone. At least this place is secure,” He sighed. 

“... I ran into Daiko, actually,” Zuko stated, “He’s also enjoying a pseudo-retirement. He’s got a wife.” 

“Of course he does,” Jee grumbled, “That was his dream, settling down.” 

After a moment of silence from Zuko, Jee spoke again. 

“Yeah, what a dream. Want a drink, kid?”

The young firebender quickly reminded Jee he was underage and excused himself. 

* * *

“Lee! Finally man, where have you been?” 

Lee looked a bit sheepish at Sokka’s question. “I talked to some other people around here, that’s all. How’s Aang?”

“Oh, he’s doing great,” Sokka waved nonchalantly, “Jeong Jeong’s been working him all morning. I think he’s on that hill somewhere. Katara is probably practicing her water magic near him.” 

“Bending, Sokka. It’s called bending.” 

He frowned, “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, Lee, but I can’t bend. Therefore, it’s magic. Always has been, always will be.” 

Lee seemed to ponder Sokka’s quite opinionated view on bending. 

“I don’t call your boomerang magic.”

Perplexed, Sokka said, “... What? What does my boomerang have to do with magic?”

“I’m just saying,” Lee shrugged, “Benders have their element, you have a boomerang. And you’re really good at using it. Going by your logic, it’s your… magic.”

“Huh,” Sokka muttered, a grin forming on his face as he pulled out his boomerang, “Look at that. I’ve finally got magic.” Cradling the weapon, he broke down in a fit of laughs. 

“Hey, don’t make fun of me,” Lee said, frowning, “I’m serious! I do not understand how that thing works.” 

“Watch and learn,” Sokka smirked, setting down his fishing supplies. Without much build-up, he threw boomerang as far as he could. Which was pretty far. 

“See,” He said, turning to Lee, “It’s all about the aerodynamics. You take one misstep or throw it wrong, you are never getting that boomerang back. Lucky for me, boomerang always comes back.” 

“What’s it made out of?” The firebender asked.

“Whalebone.” 

“Huh. Where’d you get it?”

“I made it myself!”

Lee’s eyes widened, and Sokka didn’t have a chance to warn him to watch for the incoming flying destruction that was a boomerang. 

“You really-” Lee managed, before getting absolutely clobbered by boomerang going straight into the back of his head. 

“Shit!” Sokka yelped, “Tui and La, are you okay?!” 

Lee groaned in response, rubbing his head. 

“How many fingers am I holding up?!”

“Probably two.” 

“You didn’t even look!” 

Sokka didn’t know who started it, but soon enough both of them ended up on the ground, laughing. 

After a moment of laying on their backs and staring at the orange-casted sky, Sokka sighed, but for once it was content. 

“Wanna fish?”

* * *

A shriek broke Zuko out of his frustration with a tangled fishing line. Sokka immediately got up and started running, and Zuko realized he probably knew who screamed. 

When he finally made his way through the trees, he saw Aang being  _ tackled _ by Sokka, Katara clutching her hands to her chest, and Jeong Jeong stumbling onto the scene with a scowl. 

He rapidly unsheathed his swords and pointed one towards Jeong Jeong and one towards Aang and Sokka.

“What the fuck happened?” Zuko sneered at Jeong Jeong, pressing his sword closer to the man. 

“He must leave immediately!” He said, pointing to Aang, “I instructed him and he refused to listen!”

“What-” Zuko was cut off by Sokka’s angry yell, “We told you not to mess around with this shit, Aang! Look what you did! You burned my sister! This is all your fault!” 

Zuko’s eyes widened as the situation hit him; Aang had somehow disobeyed Jeong Jeong and it had resulted in Katara’s injury; it obviously wasn’t intentional, as Aang would never hurt a fly much less Katara, but everyone was so so tense that there had to be something more here than just an accident. 

“Why weren’t you supervising him?!” Zuko demanded, “What have you been teaching him this entire morning?” 

The young firebender kept his gaze trained on Jeong Jeong but heard Katara’s sobs grow farther away. She probably wanted to go away to relieve her pain somehow, and Sokka followed her. 

“I taught him what we’ve all been taught,” Jeong Jeong replied, “The boy couldn’t control himself, too overcome with destruction!”

“Destruction?!” Zuko scoffed, “Aang is anything but purposefully destructive.”

“I don’t care what the boy believes, fire is inherently uncontrollable! It’s a curse, one that only brings pain and destruction. Those burdened with it walk on the edge of savagery, and eventually, we tear apart.”

Zuko’s arms lowered, only out of abrupt unsettlement. “Is that… is that what you truly think of fire? Of  _ your  _ fucking element?!”

“Yes, I have been burdened-”

“ _ SHUT IT.  _ You speak of this natural part of us like it’s some sort of burden?! Some… some curse? I’m sure you recognize my face, Admiral Jeong Jeong, and let me tell you, you know  _ nothing  _ of curses and burdens. What, are you carrying the weight of the atrocities your nation had caused on your shoulders? Because you aren’t  _ fucking  _ special for realizing the Fire Nation causes pain and destruction. You’ve blurred the line of Fire Nation and fire itself! The Earth Kingdom uses fire! The damned Water Tribes use fire! Fire is the center of life, humans have only prospered because of the harnessing of it, bending or no bending. Don’t come to me and cry about how destructive fire has made you in the past;  _ you  _ control that fire; not the other way around! Get a fucking  _ grip,  _ ‘Master’ Jeong Jeong, and stop blaming the world for everything. And don’t come near my fucking student ever again!” 

* * *

**_Years prior..._ **

_ “Prince Zuko…” _

_ “Shut up uncle!” _

_ “No. You completely lost your control!” _

_ Zuko scoffed, “Yeah, just like the Fire Nation savage I am. Like the asshole said, all Fire Nation people are evil.” _

_ “So you decided to set his shop on fire?” _

_ “It wasn’t my decision,” The fire prince argued, “It’s who I am. Destruction runs through my blood. He expected me to cause him pain, so I did.” _

_ “Blood runs through your blood, Prince Zuko. The blood of your forefathers, yes,” Uncle admitted, “But it is yours. It’s your blood, and it was your decision. Did burning down that man’s shop help you capture the Avatar? Did it make the man think any differently of the Fire Nation?” _

_ After a moment of angry huffing from Zuko, Iroh spoke again.  _

_ “In this life, people make assumptions. They act on the pain and suffering they’ve endured. You have a choice; either to change their mind or prove them right.” _

* * *

So. Katara could now instantly heal herself. Zuko was starting to think Sokka was right about calling bending ‘magic’ because that just seemed impossible. Jeong Jeong, still refusing to look Zuko in the eye, told her that she had a natural talent for healing; and then he had the audacity to bring up an entire ‘water is life and healing and fire is destruction and pain’ argument. Zuko was so close to absolutely losing it and punching an old man in the face, but the bastard was saved by Zhao. 

_ Saved by Zhao… that does not sound right at all.  _

Zuko was unsurprised to learn that Jeong Jeong was Zhao’s firebending master because  _ no fucking wonder he came out that bad.  _

As soon as Zuko had seen the ship he slipped his Blue Spirit mask on, and followed Katara and Sokka to find Aang. There wasn’t enough time for Zuko to protest Aang’s new pledge to never firebend again, and the group headed out to face Zhao. 

Zuko… didn’t have to do much in the fight. He mostly just prepared Appa to leave while on standby because Aang, the tiny little shit he was, got Zhao so mad that he burned his own river-boats. 

When the group finally got away, Katara tended to a burn Aang had gotten during the fight. 

“Wow, that’s good water,” He quipped. At least he was back to his annoying, cheerful self.

Sokka complained about Katara’s healing abilities never showing up when he needed them. Apparently, he’d gotten two fish hooks caught in this thumb when he was a kid. Sokka could build a functional boomerang and master it but couldn’t see how using a second fish hook to take out another fish hook was dangerous. He was a real enigma. 

Zuko tried to ignore Aang not really acknowledging his presence; the poor kid was probably terrified of learning firebending just because Zuko couldn’t suck it up and try to act confidently in his bending skills and because some bitter old man basically drove him to hurt his favorite person ever. Zuko had never even been a teacher before, and now he had a student that was going to refuse to learn. He had no idea how to deal with that, so he laid down and tried to sleep. Unconsciousness was truly the most reliable way to avoid problems. 

* * *

“Why are we veering off course?” Asked Lee. 

Sokka sighed. “Remember when we left you to brush Appa’s hair yesterday? Yeah, well Aang heard a story about ‘air walkers’ around here.”

“Yup!” Aang called from Appa’s neck, “We’re close to the Northern Air Temple now!” 

Lee looked uneasy, but Sokka didn’t make a move to ask why. 

“Do you think we’ll really find airbenders?” His sister asked. 

“You want me to be like you, or totally honest?” Sokka retorted. 

Katara crossed her arms. “Are you saying I’m a liar?”

“No,” Sokka shrugged, “I’m saying you’re an optimist. Same thing basically.”

Lee snorted. Sokka was glad _someone_ understood him.

* * *

Zuko quieted his nerves. He personally cleaned out the Northern Air Temple, there was no reason for him to be so on edge. At least he and his uncle did a good enough job that a bunch of people considered living here. As he watched a small child go running through the temple, Zuko wondered if these people knew what history they were walking on. If they knew the story behind every little mark of ash on the marble, would they still run around so freely? 

They wouldn’t. 

_ I can barely stand being here. _

Teo was a nice kid, if not a bit ‘airheaded’, and his wheelchair was definitely one of the better contraptions around the temple. Sokka started to geek out over the inventions littering the temple, and Zuko knew they were stuck here. Aang’s surging unpoliteness was also a pretty good sign that this wasn’t going to be a fly-by visit. 

_ When was it ever? _

Aang’s anger started to bleed into Zuko. The way that these people had devastated the temple with horrid pipes, oil, and metal was a little nauseating. The firebender by no means expected anything to be pristine, not after what he saw the first time he visited, but these people had destroyed murals and statues, some of the only surviving history of the Air Nomads. 

A strange-looking man with feathered eyebrows (if you could call them that) came out of the dust that covered an area that just got destroyed right in front of his, Aang’s, and Katara’s eyes.

“What the doodle? Don't you know enough to stay away from construction sites? We have to make room for the bathhouse!” 

_ Who the fuck says ‘what the doodle’?  _ Zuko thought, before realizing that this man was the one behind the destruction. 

“Do you know what you did!? You just destroyed something sacred! For a stupid bathhouse!” Aang yelled. 

“Well, people around here are starting to stink,” The man said, shrugging the whole thing off with that shitty excuse.

“This whole place stinks!”

Aang then blew the equipment the man was using right off the cliffside of the temple. 

“You tell ‘em,” Zuko muttered under his breath, mostly out of fear. 

Teo wheeled in and explained to his father why he’d caused offense. His father, who was the mechanist of the entire temple, explained that they’d settled here because their village was destroyed. Both Aang and the Mechanist had perfectly good reasons for their opinions, but the old man didn’t seem to understand he was taking it too far. 

When one is only trying to survive, they may not see the bigger picture. The bigger picture here being the lack of conservation of Aang’s culture and history. 

_ Great,  _ Zuko thought,  _ Not only am I remembering Uncle’s proverbs, now I’m applying them to my life.  _

* * *

Teo, Katara, Aang, and Zuko sat on the edge of a marble part of the temple, looking out to the clear sky. Sokka had snuck off with the Mechanist, probably to gush about machines and functionality or whatever. Zuko would’ve gone with him, but he was way too overwhelmed by being back at an Air Temple. 

Earlier, Teo showed them the only place his dad hadn’t touched at the temple; a room that could only be accessed with airbending. Every Air Temple had one of those rooms, and Zuko definitely did not bother with them. 

At least Aang had cheered up, Teo having given him some hope by telling him all the native species were still thriving, even if the temple was in practical ruin. 

“Teo,” Zuko spoke, “When did your father and the rest of your village arrive here?” 

“Oh, it must’ve been around two years ago… It was hard getting me around when we all traveled so much as refugees, and I think my father was really relieved to find this place. Why do you ask?”

Aang and Katara looked at him expectantly, and Zuko could tell they were surprised he was the one who initiated a conversation with someone he barely knew.

“I… I was just wondering,” He said, shaking his head. 

“You were going to say something different,” Katara pressed him, “You’ve been… really quiet all day. What’s on your mind?”

“It’s nothing, Katara.”

Teo reached down to pat Zuko. “Hey man, it’s fine. I won’t share.” 

“Me neither,” Aang agreed. 

Zuko rolled his eyes. “It’s not an important secret or anything… it’s just… I’ve been here before.”

Aang looked stunned. “You’ve been at an Air Temple before?!”

“I’ve passed through. Before opening the tea shop, my Uncle and I traveled a lot. I guess… we were refugees too? Anyway, I told you it’s not that important.”

“When did you visit?” Teo asked. 

“Almost three years ago.”

“Wow!” Katara blurted, “What was it like?”

Zuko took too long of a pause to answer.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he stated, standing up and brushing off the dust on his pants. 

“Lee…”

“I’m… going to find Sokka,” The firebender said, letting the first excuse that came to his mind come out.

* * *

Zuko had retreated into a more secluded part of a temple to brood for a few hours. He was interrupted by the cry of someone shouting, “The Fire Nation is going to attack!” 

_ Why did they always feel the need to do that... _

He came out to the main clearing of the temple, where Sokka was rapidly talking to Aang and Katara. 

“Lee!” he shouted, whipping around towards Zuko, “Spirits, where have you been!” 

“Doesn’t matter. What’s going on?!”

“Oh nothing, it’s just that Mr. Mechanist over here makes weapons for the Fire Nation, and we just refused to give the dude what he wanted, so now he’s going to attack the temple!” 

Zuko groaned. “Am I going to get an  _ actual  _ explanation for whatever just came out of your mouth?”

“No!” Sokka exclaimed, somehow smiling in the face of the situation, “But I do have a plan! To the workshop!” 

* * *

Luckily, Katara gave him a quick rundown of the Mechanist’s situation with the Fire Nation as they rushed after Sokka. 

Once they got there, Sokka and the Mechanist started working at breakneck speed. After a few moments, the Mechanist announced to the room; “We finally got the war balloon working, thanks to Sokka. This boy's a genius!”

Sokka smiled, and it wasn’t a grin or smirk as Zuko had seen before, no, it was actually proud, if not a bit bashful. It gave Zuko a semblance of sanity back. 

“See, the problem with the old war balloon was you could get it airborne,” Sokka began to explain, pulling out different models and tools, “But once it did, it just kept going. You could put a hole in the top, but then all the hot air would escape. So the question became, how do you keep a lid on hot air?”

“Ugh, if only we knew,” Katara drawled sarcastically, a grin spread across her face as well. 

“A lid is actually the answer. If you control the hot air, you control the war balloon.”

A war balloon. This would… totally change the game for the war, and warfare in general. Did… Sokka know how ridiculously genius he looked? Zuko knew Sokka was smart but watching his brain work in real-time to create a real change in something was… captivating, to say the least.

* * *

The Fire Nation retreated. Sokka and this rag-tag team actually made a Fire Nation horde  _ retreat _ . During the fight, Zuko had taken Appa’s reins, using the bison to drop special bombs that Sokka had given him. Now, he stood by the animal, brushing his fingers through its fur as Aang said goodbye to the refugees. He never thought he’d be here, back at an Air Temple, with a flying bison. For a second, the sunrise cast light over the temple that made it look straight out of a dream. The broken and burned bodies he’d seen all those years ago were nowhere in sight, or in mind. 

Sokka came up behind him and tapped his shoulder. “Hey man, you almost ready to go?” 

“Yeah. What’s with the bag?” 

“Ah, I may have… borrowed a few things from the Mechanist.”

Zuko exhaled, and it suspiciously sounded like a laugh. “Yes, I’m very familiar with the double meaning of ‘borrowing’ in this group.” 

“He’ll live without a few wrenches and welders.”

Zuko took Sokka’s bags, tossing them onto Appa and securing them. After helping the boy climb on, he paused. 

“Hey, Sokka. Why didn’t anyone tell me you were a crazy tactical genius? It was really… impressive, what you did out there. And I think I can say that, having experience with military work and all.”

“Huh, I guess I’m just a natural-born genius,” Sokka replied, a perky smile creeping upon his face, “And… thanks. It’s just another day’s work in being the most powerful member of Team Avatar.”

“Of course. Want a medal with that title?”

“Duh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REEEEEEEDDD LIGHHHTTSSSS STOP SIGNNNNNS I STILL- AH- oh hmm? you're done reading the chapter? dang! can't believe you made it that far! proud of you! didja like it? (it's long because I wanted to make it through four episodes and get to the north pole arc BECAUSE IM ABOUT TO FUCK SHIT UP IN THAT ARC OH YEAH ITS GOING TO BE SO ROUGH BUDDY but luckily it shouldn't take so long to write)
> 
> zuko: if one more fucking adult who isn't my uncle talks to me i will literally combust out of annoyance   
> jeong jeong: prince z-  
> zuko: literally shut up im talking about you  
> (i do like jeong jeong but i also like zuko being passionate about firebending smh i couldn't choose) 
> 
> teo supremacy i love him so much?? anyway if you so please, leave some comments/kudos, remember i love you all hehe


	9. I Am Once Again Banished (Not the Fire Nation this Time!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Master Pakku can choke on an iciscle. Anyway the Northern Water Tribe arc begins!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> northern water tribe arc let's goooooooo  
> it's very apparent that my favorite water tribe is the southern one. the north's only redeeming quality was the crush ten-year-old me harbored for yue. sokka kinnie moment 
> 
> I feel like the title is spoilerish but idk I thought it was funny
> 
> grab some water or tea and a blanket, maybe a snack. this one is pretty short compared to the previous 15k chap, but still treat yourself

Zuko shivered awake. He definitely _did not_ whine at the sudden temperature drop. 

“Hey, Jerkbender. You’re finally awake.” 

The firebender didn’t have to roll over to know who’s voice that was. 

“It’s fucking freezing,” He grumbled, reaching a hand out to find one of his bags next to him. He rustled through the contents for a moment before finding what he needed. Blearily standing up (which was quite the feat when traveling on Appa) he aired out the white garments of clothes he had grabbed. He noticed Appa flying dangerously close to the water and said water had tons of jagged slabs of ice sticking out of it. They were really up North now.

“Is that really the warmest thing you have?” Sokka asked. 

Zuko pulled the white pants over his regular black ones. “I have layers. Plus, I’m a firebender so,” he explained, only stopping to pull his shirt over his head, “Not only can I keep myself warm, but it’s also pretty hard to fight in heavy clothes.” 

Zuko shook his white under-tunic. He caught Sokka staring up at him from where the boy was sitting. Suddenly he felt a little self-conscious, being shirtless in front of him. 

“What?” He snapped. 

Sokka began to splutter, looking away quickly. “You, uh, have a lot of muscles!” He exclaimed. 

Zuko hoped his rosy cheeks could be blamed on the cold weather. He pulled the shirt over his head and crouched down to get a warmer top layer. “... I think I have a normal amount of muscles,” he slowly replied to Sokka’s comment. 

“I- I didn’t- uh, nevermind,” Sokka stuttered, hanging his head in what resembled defeat. Zuko decided to ignore him to fend off his own confusion. Everyone has a lot of muscles...

* * *

“I'm not one to complain,” Sokaa complained, “but can't Appa fly _any_ higher?”

“I have an idea! Why don't we all get on _your_ back and _you_ could fly us to the North Pole?!”

“Ooh,” Lee snickered beside Sokka. He shot a glare at the firebender. It wasn’t his fault that Aang was so snappy. 

“I'd _love_ to,” He drawled, ignoring Lee, “Climb on everyone, Sokka's _ready_ for take-off.”

Momo jumped up on his back. 

“Look, we're all just a little tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight,” Katara sighed. 

“And for what? We can't even find the Northern Water Tribe,” Sokka continued his whining, “There's nothing up here.”

“I doubt that,” Lee stated, “It’s just that there’s no recorded land here like there is in the South Pole. It would be all ice, unlike the south where underneath the snow there’s solid ground. That’s what makes it so hard to find because it will most likely look like another glacier,” He crossed his arms. Once he noticed everyone looking at him he scowled. 

“What?”

“Nothing,” Katara said, “You just seem to know your stuff…”

“I told you, Uncle and I used to travel. Geography has always been useful.”

“No one ever goes to the poles though,” Sokka pointed out.

Lee shrugged but notably didn’t meet his eyes. “I never got too close. It was always too cold.”

“Too bad we never crossed paths,” Katara said, “All of us could’ve been friends a lot earlier.”

Lee studied both Water Tribe siblings. “You wouldn’t have taken kindly to a… a firebender in your home. Trust me.” 

Sokka considered Lee’s statement. It was true, Sokka knew it was. For a moment, he startled himself with how comfortable he’d become around Lee. Even when he threw around fire Sokka didn’t really pay any mind to it anymore. A couple of months ago his first instinct upon meeting an ashmaker would’ve been to throw boomerang at their head (on purpose). What changed? 

* * *

Zuko pulled up the white hood of his overcoat as what appeared to be Northern waterbenders surrounded them and took control of Appa. Even with Katara’s enthusiasm, he kept his guard up, never having met a fully trained waterbender. He didn’t know what to expect. 

Turns out, the Northern Water Tribe was surrounded by walls of thick ice, with the only accessible way in being to waterbend an opening. It was as if an ice sculptor was told to make a model of Ba Sing Se, but they’d never been before and was too nervous to ask for a reference, yet they still made it beautiful enough for nobody to notice. 

Appa was led through a long canal lined with glittering arches going through the main city of the tribe, which split off like roads to other buildings. Zuko didn’t pay attention to the people waving to the bison. He kept his hood-up and his eyes down. 

The Northerners were obviously isolationists, he wasn’t sure if it was even a good idea for them to see his face. No one here would have any of his features. His hair, eyes, and scar would all stick out like a sore thumb. He longed for his mask and cursed himself for being dumb and forgetting to put it on. 

The canal workers finally pull Appa to a stop in the middle of the city, where a large clearing showed a group of men walking towards them. 

Great. A welcoming committee. 

Aang, ever the extrovert, airbended (more like air-bounded) off of his air bison and started his “I am the Avatar and I’m here because I need something but I’m going to be annoyingly friendly so none of you will feel like telling me to leave” speech. Katara and Sokka slid off of Appa after him and stuck close to each other, looking around at the ice city in childish awe. 

Zuko was the last one to get off the bison, his feet hitting the ground as soon as a guy approached the group in a practiced manner. 

“We welcome the Avatar to the Northern Water Tribe,” he said, using more authority in his voice than one would expect of someone his age, “My name is Hahn, head guard.”

“Nice to meet you!” Aang greeted, “It’s a pleasure to be here!”

“I’m sure,” Hahn gestured to Sokka and Katara, “Your friends would like to introduce themselves as well. You two seem to be Water Tribe, but I’ve never seen…” 

Sokka smiled. “Proud southerners here!” Katara nodded, “It’s wonderful to visit our sister tribe!”

Hahn scrunched his nose as if he tasted something sour. He hummed and turned towards Zuko, who immediately looked away. He hoped his hood kept his scar out of view. The guy’s heat signature got within Zuko’s personal space before he said, “And who might you be?” 

Sokka, thankfully sensing the guy’s abnormally high levels of snobbery, ran to Zuko’s aid and introduced him. 

“This is our buddy, Lee!”

“Lee… doesn’t sound like a particularly Water Tribe name-”

“It isn’t,” Zuko stated, fastening his bags before addressing Sokka, “Do you think this place has space for Appa or…?”

Hahn cleared his throat to remind the boys he was there (as if they _needed_ a reminder). “Where are you from… _Lee_?” 

“I travel around,” he responded. 

An inching chill reached Zuko’s ankles. He looked down to see his feet trapped in ice, and it was then he wished he a better liar. 

“I don’t believe you,” Hahn said coldly. 

“Hey man, what’s your deal?!” Sokka said, putting himself between Hahn and Zuko. 

“I just want Lee to take off his hood, that’s all,” he told him, “Setoq, keep your hold on the foreigner.”

“You don’t have the right to-”

“I do. Step aside southerner.” 

Sokka bristled at that, “You-”

“Sokka, leave it alone. I’ll remove my hood if it’s so relevant,” Zuko drawled, sarcastic. 

Hahn’s nose wrinkled when Zuko’s face was fully exposed. He made a signal with his hand and Zuko found himself now leg deep in ice that held him in place. There was no escaping this since he couldn’t firebend without causing a probable panic. He scowled, but before he could say anything, Hahn spoke. 

“Bring Master Pakku, he’ll know what to do with the ashmaker.” 

An old man emerged from the crowd. “I am already here,” the man, Master Pakku said, “Don’t be _so_ rash, soldier.” 

“But he’s got all the features-!”

“Yes, well, those records are quite old. Hmm…” The old man inspected him, “Black hair, fair skin, gold eyes… a twisted scar-” 

“I’m not a firebender!” Zuko protested. He hated being under all this scrutiny, and he was starting to fall apart.

Master Pakku simply hummed. Katara and Aang rushed to Zuko’s side. 

“Sir! This is our friend, please let him go!” Aang advanced, puffing out his chest a bit and sticking his glider into the snow. It wasn’t the least bit intimidating, really, but Zuko tried to appreciate the use of “Avatar authority”. 

“Yeah, you heard him,” Zuko gruffly said, “I’m with the Avatar. I don’t know why you think I’m an… a-ashmaker.” 

Pakku gazed upon their group, his expression conveying how unconvinced he was. 

“... Let’s put that to the test, shall we?” He said, making a clean movement with his arms. Zuko stumbled back in alarm, breaking one of the ice holds on his ankles. Before he landed on his ass, a new wave of ice encased him all the way to his neck. He struggled for a moment before actually panicking at the fact that he _couldn’t move_. 

“If he is truly a firebender,” Pakku declared, his frigid eyes boring into Zuko’s, “He’ll get out.”

Zuko’s good eye widened and his scar stretched. 

_Why would this man leave my head free,_ Zuko thought, _the breath of fire technique is barely commonly known, I wouldn’t expect an isolationist to know that it exists… unless he’s had contact outside of the tribe?_

_… Or he’s just an old bastard that wants to kill me._

Zuko decided the situation was to be interpreted as the latter. 

He heard his friends clamber for his release, but the old man was undisturbed. He realized then that he had no real choice. If he denied the accusation it would only bring further questioning that would make Zuko freak-out. And by causing a scene, he was probably lowering Aang and Katara’s chances at learning to waterbend. 

He glowered at the old man before releasing a deep exhale of smoke out of his nose. His body heat gave him some room within the ice (but regrettably soaked him to the bone) and he began to take his hands and melt the ice from the inside-out. A couple of horrified gasps and shrieks made an appearance when a plume of flame escaped his mouth. 

The Fire Nation had fucked the world up so much that these people, who’d never even encountered a firebender, were afraid of Zuko. They were afraid of him because he looked the way he did, and because of what he could do. 

And Zuko hated how fair it was. 

“Did you know you were concealing a firebender within your group?!” Hahn screeched, “This is disgraceful-!”

“Stop!” Aang shouted, amplifying his voice using a swipe of airbending, “We knew! He’s our friend!” 

“A firebender _can’t_ be your friend! Have you been living under a rock the past one-hundred years?!”

Sokka snorted and looked sheepish when Zuko shot him a glare. 

“You can’t tell me who I can and can’t make friends with,” Aang huffed, “And Lee is my _firebending_ teacher! I’m the Avatar remember?! I kind of _need_ him!”

“That does not change the fact that you have disrespected us and our customs by bringing along your ‘friend’,” Pakku sneered, “Are we supposed to trust you haven’t brought a spy to our sacred home? Or maybe the Avatar has changed allegiance-”

“Aang, Katara, and Sokka have done _nothing_ wrong,” Zuko scoffed, “Don’t even think of accusing them of something like that because they associate with _me_.”

“ _You_ get no say in this. Hidonak? Bring me some cuffs,” Pakku ordered. 

A soldier approached the group holding said cuffs, but Sokka stepped up to them. “There’s no need for cuffs,” he protested, pushing his hands against the soldier’s, “I’m sure we can work something out!” 

“Sure we can,” Pakku grunted, “Cheif Arnook, what do you suppose we do with the boy?” 

A broad man with noticeably fancier clothing stepped out of the crowd, and Zuko felt a spike of fear travel up his spine. The _Chief_ had been here the whole time?! 

The man, Chief Arnook, whispered among what seemed to be advisors or family of some sort.

“We will not keep a firebender within our walls!” His voice boomed, “The only way we survive is by keeping their kind out! We will not change tradition _just_ for the Avatar.”

Zuko grit his teeth. If they took him to some sort of prison it was likely he wouldn’t escape. It was hard enough when it wasn’t freezing. 

In a haste, he grabbed his bags and fastened them onto his person with aggression. Sokka glanced at him confused. 

“Then I’ll _leave._ ”

He made it a few steps before being surrounded by Water Tribe warriors. Pakku made a pretentious stride towards him. 

“ _We_ will escort you out.”

“I’m coming too!” Sokka announced, quickly approaching Zuko to latch onto his arm. Aang and Katara followed shortly after. 

* * *

“If you are really as harmless as your friends make you out to be, I’m sure there’ll be no problem with you staying out of these walls, yes?”

Zuko only gave a stiff nod at Cheif Arnook. 

He was going to be sent outside to sleep like a dog-monkey. Great.

Katara and Aang didn’t meet his eyes, but that was probably because they were trying to make a good impression on the tribe. 

The waterbenders atop the wall began to close the gate and Zuko gave himself a quick deep breath before starting to turn away. 

“Wait!” 

He turned around in time for Sokka to come skidding in front of him. 

“Sokka! What are you-!”

The other teen shoved a thick bundle of fabric into Zuko’s chest. With a closer look, he realized it was Sokka’s parka. 

“Please _don’t_ freeze your ass off. I swear, as soon and Aang and Katara are done with their stupid water tricks we’ll come and get you, okay? Tui and La, this is so annoying!” 

“Sokka, please, I can’t-”

“Oh! And this,” Sokka said, bringing out _another_ bundle of fabric, this time his sleeping bag. 

“I can’t take this.”

“Sure you can! It’s not like I need it,” He smiled, before pulling Zuko into a hug that the firebender was _definitely_ not ready for. 

“Everyone here has a stick up their ass. Don’t take what they say too seriously,” He whispered. 

Zuko chuckled under his breath, wrapping one arm around Sokka to return the embrace. 

They separated and all Zuko could really offer was a small, wobbly smile. 

“Thank you, Sokka.”

“You can thank me by not being a frozen popsicle the next time I see you,” He grinned, beginning to jog back to the opposite side of the gate, “See you later, Lee!”

Zuko backed away from the gate as it finally closed with the irritating noise of scraping ice. 

“See you later, Sokka,” He sighed. 

* * *

The sun went down not too soon after that. Zuko had pulled the parka over his head, surprised at its mobility and warmth. One might even say he was nuzzling into the fur neckline of it, but that was irrelevant. 

He made himself some tea and got frustrated at how many times he had to warm it up over and over. Using his firebending so much to stay warm was definitely going to take a toll on him, but at least that way he’d get some sleep. 

For dinner, he simply ate some ration food Uncle made sure he had in his bag before this all happened. It was dry but it made him feel full, so. It sufficed. 

Once he finished setting up the sleeping bag, which was a lot more spacious than he’d thought, he laid down and stared up. 

Zuko’s lips parted in a sort of primal wonder. He never took the time to look at the stars, and here there were just _so many_. And they were bright here too. The Fire Nation rarely used stars for navigation, but Zuko had still read a few things on astronomy. 

It was overwhelming to search for constellations with this many stars in the sky, but he tried anyway. 

_There’s the glittering lady… the twin flames… the koi… oh, there’s the lesser dragon… that’s the mother tiger-dillo… and…_

The constellation commonly referred to as the ‘four seasons’ due to its ever-changing leaf image twinkled right above Zuko. He smiled softly, the constellation reminding him of Uncle. He always sang this song that had been based on that particular constellation, back when Zuko spent more nights on metal and under the stars. The situation was not to be missed, but… 

Uncle was. 

Despite the rasp that somehow made it through to Zuko’s humming, he lulled himself to sleep with the vibrating tune of the old shanty he only used to think of as annoying. 

_Winter, Spring… Summer and Fall…_

_Winter, Spring… Summer and Fall…_

_Four seasons, four loves,_

_Four seasons... for…_

* * *

Zuko woke slowly, sheepishly rubbing the sleep from his eyes while leaning his back against the outside of the Northern Water Tribe’s wall. His eyes adjusted to the brightness, and he just stared at the shimmering effect the sun gave the large, jagged ice surrounding the tribe. Not taking his eyes off the horizon for too long, he prepared his teapot and began his morning meditation. 

A screech startled him out of his auto-piloted calm, making him jump several inches off the ground where he sat. He turned to see Momo’s buggy eyes staring up at him. 

“What… what in Agni’s name are you doing here, you crazy monkey!”

The lemur just screeched again, and Zuko groaned with exasperation. “I can’t believe you made it all the way over that wall just to annoy the shit out of… what’s on your neck?” 

Around the lemur’s neck was a ribbon with something tied to it. 

“Let me see that,” Zuko grunted, moving Momo’s neck and praying he wouldn’t get bit and infected with whatever the damn monkey had to make it the way it was.

The attachment turned out to be a piece of parchment. Zuko tore it off Momo’s neck, to which the lemur responded by climbing onto Zuko and using his unruly bedhead as a nest. 

Turning the rolled parchment in his fingers, the backside had a messy scrawl with… what seemed to be a smiley face? With a nose?

It read; _For Lee!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter :/  
> Sokka: *stares and tries to compliment Zuko's muscles* *defends Zuko* *gives Zuko his parka* *writes cute letters to Zuko*  
> Also Sokka: *falls in love with Yue*  
> like, wrong equation semi-correct answer, I guess?? i love yue/sokka but mostly bc of the tragedy so... yeah. bare with me. 
> 
> in other news, my life sucks ass so much that I've decided this fic is my new reality. pullin' a Wanda Maximoff real quick
> 
> readers, I am here to inform you Zuko will not be catching a break during this arc. consider this a warning. anyway drop ur comments and kudos below. love ya.


	10. It Starts with Romantic Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Northern Water Tribe works hard but Sokka works harder. Zuko might've put all his sanity onto a lemur. Oh, and boats continue to be Zuko's personal hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my notes for this chapter got deleted i hate it here
> 
> anyway you'll notice I use the words characters, brushes, and ink while describing sokka and zuko's letters; that bc the written language of Avatar is Hanzi (traditional Chinese) so they don't use letters or words or pens. ALSO I think if avatar wasn't a show produced towards english speakers, the language everyone would speak in the show would be Hanzi; its said the four nations lived in harmony so maybe a long time ago they all had their own languages and then when they were united hanzi was the language that kinda stuck with everyone (I just like worldbuilding lmao ignore my nerd rant I love languages)
> 
> anyway enjoy the chapter it's 3am and I have an early class tmw- get a blanket, snack, agua, blah blah EAT IT UP BESTIES

Zuko unfurled the rolled parchment in his fingers, which were red with cold. 

The characters on the page were messily scribbled like the writer had been too excited to watch which way the ink splashed. 

_ Lee! _

_ Dude! Remember when we were super bored on Appa a few days ago? We made Momo do that race with the lychee nuts? Turns out he remembers that I guess because when I was talking about you he started to screech and search my pockets and look around for you. So, I thought for a minute (crazy I know) and I was like, “What if I told Momo you had lychee nuts? Would he go to you?” So I’m tying this letter to him in case he does find you. If my genius brain is right then we can talk back and forth using Momo! Despite whatever these old geezers want.  _

_ By the way, apparently, that asshole Master Pakku is the big bad water magic master here, which means Katara and Aang have to go learn from him. Gross. I think they’re actually asking him right now to be his students.  _

_ But who cares about that! You better be keeping your flame-y ass warm out there. I was eating last night and I suddenly lost my appetite, because all I could think about was the fact that you only have whatever’s in those bags of yours! No warm food! Buddy, are you sure you don’t need a rescue operation?! You can’t be costing me my appetite, that’s my most powerful weapon.  _

_ Besides that, last night was kind of cool, they put on a show with water magic, blah blah. But look. I need your help man! You remember that girl, with the white hair and cute nose and beautiful face? Well, I sure hope you do, I don’t know how someone could look and not notice her… ANYWAY! I tried getting to know her last night… She's a princess, dude. I barely have a chance, and well, I may or may have not used that “Prince Sokka” line you threw at me that one time. She giggled at least! Then, like the idiot I am, I asked her if we could do an activity together. What was going through my head, I do not know. Luckily, I’m a total catch, last night was just a fluke. I’m trying again this morning. I just want any general girl advice, you know, guy to guy. I know you helped Suki and Kovah, and I hope they weren’t downplaying your powers!  _

_ I hope this works. Stay warm. And eat. Practice your jerkbending. Don’t die. Momo, don’t fail me.  _

_ \- Your buddy, Sokka _

Zuko read the letter, unconsciously smiling at the nice and funny parts, giggling at the stupid doodles on the paper that really couldn’t be depicting something real, and frowning at Sokka’s worry about him. 

He shook his head. “He’s using the Avatar’s lemur as a messenger-hawk. I can’t tell if that’s smart or stupid,” Zuko said to Momo, who was chewing lightly on his hair, “Considering it’s you.” 

_ I’m the one talking to a monkey,  _ Zuko thought,  _ I’m probably the stupid one here.  _

“Well,” He sighed, “I might as well write back… I have nothing better to do, do I?” 

Momo chittered in agreement. 

Rolling out some parchment from his bag, Zuko set the (thankfully not frozen) ink next to him. At least he didn’t have to worry about Momo getting back to Sokka, the two always seemed to harass each other anyway.

Steadying his shaking hand from the cold, he huffed some steam from his mouth (unused to it coming from simply breathing and not firebending) and put the ink to the paper. 

_ Sokka, _

_ Yes. I remember our stupid game. And well, Momo is here. On top of my head. I have no idea how you deal with this monkey being all over you all the time. He’s quite smelly.  _

_ Frankly, I don’t care who teaches Aang and Katara waterbending, even if it is an old gasbag, as long as he’s quick with it.  _

_ And stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself just fine. Sure, I’m freezing my ass off, but hey, I’m a firebender in a cold place. What do you expect? We don’t exactly do well like this. Natural order, I guess. I’m glad Uncle taught me how to warm myself up and preserve that warmth, but even with that, I’ll probably drop dead after all this. A plain example of my lack of luck.  _

_ I do not remember seeing a girl with white hair and a “cute nose” or “beautiful face”. White hair? That sounds pretty unnatural unless she’s old or something. But if that’s your preference…  _

_ I’m pretty sure Suki and Kovah oversold me. I didn’t do much besides avoid them so that they spent more time one on one. Here, my advice is; drop the prince title, I don’t think it will get you as many girls as you think it will. If you truly believe that you are “a catch”, just follow your gut. “Instincts”, as you call them. I’d say “be yourself” but that phrase is overused, isn’t it? Oh well. Uncle’s the advice guy. I wish he was here. He’d probably tell you something weird like “love isn’t what it seems”. Sort of unhelpful. Maybe I don’t want him here after all. Good luck with your white-haired girlfriend.  _

_ \- Lee _

_ P.S.- Thank you for the parka and sleeping bag. It helps.  _

Annoyed at his lack of elegance when it came to writing (did it really matter since Sokka was so casual?), Zuko just stopped after accidentally reminiscing about his Uncle. If he thought too hard about the man, he’d miss him and be all unproductive. 

He rolled the parchment up, retying the ribbon and struggling to clasp it around Momo’s neck again. 

After evading getting bit and securing messenger-hawk Momo, Zuko looked at the lemur expectantly. 

“Well? Are you going to go back to Sokka or not?!”

Momo tilted his head and screeched expectantly. Zuko stared at him, suddenly smacking his hand to his forehead. 

“Lychee nuts, right…” He grabbed and shuffled through his bag. He tossed Momo five little lychee nuts, to which the little beast ravaged his small feast and screeched with what Zuko assumed was happiness. After gathering the food in his mouth, he gave one last squeak before clumsily flying off over the wall. 

He sighed watching the lemur go over the wall with ease. Being kicked out by around fifty Water Tribe men surrounding him like a barricade was humiliating enough, but now he was pathetically relying on a lemur to even talk to anyone within the walls.

Maybe Zuko’s entire life was just an incessant loop of humility. That’s what happens to people without luck. Why would victory come to him if he wasn’t meant for it? No matter how fast he ran, he ended in the same spot, filled with shame and exhaustion. Never winning the race but always sprinting. 

* * *

Zuko spent the rest of the day doing katas, hoping that constant movement would prevent him from having to use his breath of fire for a while. His movements became ridiculously repetitive as the sky turned from a light icy blue to a rich lilac. When a screech interrupted him it was almost welcome. 

Momo faithfully landed on Zuko’s head, this time putting up less of a struggle when the firebender grabbed the wrapped letter from his neck. Then, the lemur crawled into the hood of Sokka’s parka and curled up to wait for Zuko to read. 

_ Lee,  _

__

_ Hey, so, please tell me you’re joking about dropping dead. It’s hard to tell when you joke… especially about death. You’re pretty pessimistic, aren’t you? Well, not like I can talk.  _

_ And Princess Yue is not an old lady! Weirdo. And I did try to ask her out again this morning. Which I was going to write to you about but then… how about I just tell you about the day. It was a mess.  _

_ Okay, so I woke up all peppy and sent that letter to you. You know this part. After getting your letter back, I didn’t really have time to read it because the princess’ boat was coming right around where I was. I didn’t want to miss my opportunity, duh, so I improvised. I asked her to hang out on a… a bridge. Yeah, I admit it was a little weak, but I was put on the spot! She agreed, but I may or may not have face-planted right into the water canal between us. 50% success, 50% me still being an idiot. It’s okay though! Because I still got a date, which I have to go to right after I get Momo to go to you. Wish me luck.  _

_ Anyway, the date thing isn’t even the craziest thing that happened today. I ran into Aang for like, two seconds, and I asked about how waterbending lessons were going, and he actually got mad? He said something about sexism and Katara not being allowed to learn combat waterbending. I’m not sure what that was about, but I’ll definitely ask them when I see them tonight. I’m hoping there isn’t some annoying delay in their training, considering you are “freezing your ass off”. A popsicle firebender is not something I want to find.  _

_ You’re bundled up, right? I gave you that parka, but you have your own mittens, right? And you’ve packed snow into a shelter?  _

_ Sorry, I know you told me not to worry, but I don’t have much else to do, being a nonbender and all. No need for learning water magic. Which I’m kind of glad for, because if I was in the same room as Master Prissy-ass all the time I’d probably lose my shit.  _

_ Crap, it’s time for me to go. Write back to me! I need to know you’re alive somehow! _

_ -The best boomerang-bender, Sokka _

_ P.S. No problem! _

Scoffing, Zuko tore out his own ink and parchment. 

_ Firebenders don’t wear mittens,  _ he thought, flicking his brush between his fingers. 

* * *

_ Dear Sokka,  _

_ I’m fine. I was joking. Mostly. I just want a long nap after this. Then again, I always want a long nap. Uncle says tea is the best remedy for anything, but it’s definitely second to naps.  _

_ Good luck with your date. Don’t trip into another water canal.  _

_ I have to ask; Is the oppression of women a Water Tribe... thing? A law? Suki complained about you being all… “insecure in your masculinity” when she first met you, but I thought that was just a “you” thing. Personally, I think tradition and government shouldn’t infringe on the rights of simple things like what a person can do with their life. It’s their life. If a girl wants a job or wants to learn something, they should be able to. Maybe that’s because I was raised in a place where denying a girl something would result in you getting set on fire, or being whacked by a metal fan, but also it doesn’t feel right to take away from people on the basis of who they are. And if there’s the excuse of “tradition” standing present; well it’s not tradition if it’s harmful, is it? Traditions are cultural customs and beliefs passed down from generations, not oppressive regimens.  _

_ Sorry. That must’ve sounded inconsiderate coming from someone who looks the way I do. The Fire Nation and their colonies are obviously not innocent in their acts of oppression. It’s just that sexism isn’t the biggest issue there. They have plenty of others to make up for it though.  _

_ Well, enough about the Fire Nation. Aang and Katara shouldn’t rush their training just because I’m a little cold. We both know what happens when you rush training. If Master Pakku is anything like Jeong Jeong…  _

_ I have to ask, what do you mean by “packing snow”? Is there a benefit to storing snow? Anyway, looking forward to hearing about how dumb you act on your date.  _

_ \- Lee _

* * *

_ Dear Lee,  _

_ Tui and La. You have no clue how to deal with snow, do you? Do you even know what an igloo is? A TENT?  _

_ You know what, I’ll address that later. In the last two days so much happened I’m not sure I can fit it into one letter.  _

_ First off, I went to hang out with Princess Yue, and well. It went horribly but I don’t think I did anything wrong! We started a normal conversation and then out of nowhere she says, “I made a mistake I shouldn’t have asked you to come here.” And then she ran away. Like literally. I don’t know if I repulsed her in some way or something but I wouldn’t know because I got absolutely no explanation.  _

_ Master Pakku refused to teach Katara because she’s a girl. Aang is was passing along lessons to her at night, but they got caught and Pakku expelled Aang for it. Which is kind of my fault, because I suggested the idea, but when is anything ever not my fault? Also how big does the stick up a guy’s ass have to be to deny teaching the Avatar? I didn’t like Aang at first but after finding out he was the Avatar, I could at least see his usefulness. Friendship just comes with knowing the kid after that.  _

_ Anyway, this morning that whole thing kind of blew up, which is why I’m writing so late. Katara… challenged Pakku to fight. She was all ‘BOOM’ and ‘SPLOOSH’ and ‘BAM’ (I did get hit with water. Several times.). As her brother, I was proud. You know, fight for what you believe in, stick it to the man, whatever. But honestly, I didn’t know my sister was that powerful. She didn’t win but she was on another level, it isn’t just trapping a fish in a bubble anymore. Makes me feel like a bit of an oaf, you know, sitting on the sidelines having trouble talking to a girl while Katara can just splash her way through her problems. Not that I’m jealous or anything. There’s nothing for me to be jealous of, it’s not like I can bend.  _

_ After the fight, we learned that our Gran-Gran was supposed to marry Master Pakku, a long time ago. At least I dodged a bullet there.  _

_ On the subject of shitty romances, back to… okay, I’m just going to speed through this. Katara said something about our Gran-Gran leaving to go south because of how awful it must’ve been to live as a woman in the north, and it upset Yue and she ran off. I followed after her, and she was acting all stand-offish. Obviously, my head goes to the first logical conclusion, which is that she’s one of the stuck-up ones who wanted nothing to do with a southern peasant. I told her that, and out of nowhere she grabbed my face and kissed me. She kissed me, dude! For a second, I was actually happy.  _

_ Then she told me she liked me. Here’s the kicker; right after, she told me we couldn’t be together because she’s engaged. I really… I just don’t even know anymore. Honestly, I’m just feeling alone at the moment. I wanted to take Appa and try and bring you in, but the patrol would see it. They already don’t trust me enough, being friends with a firebender and all. Not that that’s your fault. I should’ve thought ahead, I mean, a month ago I would’ve had the same reaction to a firebender. Again, no offense.  _

_ Now, about you not knowing anything about the cold… packing snow is not stuffing it in a bag. Definitely not. It’s basically just gathering snow and beating it really tight? Then you can form it into a cave-like structure, just large enough to sleep in, and it generally is supposed to keep your body heat in. Sounds weird, because well, snow is cold, but it’s about not letting the wind in and trapping heat close to you.  _

_ Literally anyone else would be better at explaining this. Damn. I mean you seem to be doing fine… but I’m still worried. I know you said not to worry but I have nothing better to do, so, take that as an excuse. Now that Katara beat Pakku into submission it shouldn’t be too long until we see each other again. I better not see you with frostbite or something.  _

_ \- Your buddy, Sokka _

* * *

_ Dear Sokka,  _

_ Sorry your date went so bad. Since the princess is, well, royalty, I doubt she would’ve kissed you unless she was unhappy… not sure how it works up here but maybe the marriage is arranged? You should ask her. _

_ Is Katara alright? You said she lost… but also beat that old guy into submission. So… that’s a little confusing. It was really brave of her to challenge a master. You didn’t say she was hurt or anything, so I assume she isn’t. That’s good.  _

_ Again, sorry about your… girlfriend? And sorry you feel lonely. I feel the same, I guess. Well, more bored than lonely. I get up, run through katas, make tea, meditate, stare off into space, do more katas, and then I try to make myself as warm as possible with my firebending before I go to sleep. The cold has become more of an annoyance than a shocking force, although I’m not sure my nose will recover. It’s like ice, but on my face.  _

_ As I write this, I’m considering… exploring. I’ve stayed in the same spot, sleeping up against the ice-wall, but there’s ice and snow that goes on for miles away from where I am. I know in my head that all I’m going to see if I go hopping along the ice is more… ice, but I’d rather look at new ice. Who knows, maybe I’ll see how far the turtle-seals swim, or maybe I’ll slip and get eaten by a dolphin-piranha. Uncle always said I had a knack for getting in dangerous situations. I think I will go look around, just for him. Or rather, to spite him. Jokes on me though, this just proves I can’t stay still. _

_ I’ve made up my mind. I’ll be absent for maybe two, three days? So don’t expect me to respond to any letters within that time. And if I go longer than that without any word… well, at least you’ll know something is wrong. But again, don’t worry about me. For a few days, you won’t have to take time to send letters to me, and I’ll have some time to stop sitting on my ass. Taking a small trip seems like a good way to pass some time. Katara and Aang were really good at waterbending without formal training, so I expect they work everything out quickly. Do me a favor though, tell Aang that if I hear he’s slacking off, that’s 10 more hot-squats to his set. Trust me, it’s pretty entertaining to watch him scramble.  _

_ \- Lee _

_ P.S. You explained everything just fine. And I know what a tent is, asshole. See you soon. _

Zuko sighed, attaching the parchment to Momo and absentmindedly tossing the lemur some lychee nuts. As its chitters grew farther, the firebender began to gather his things. He stripped Sokka’s parka off and rolled the sleeping bag. It was difficult, arranging the bags in a way that would allow Zuko to move easily on ice, but he managed.

While rearranging his possessions, his hands glided over the wood of his spirit mask. Without much thought, he slipped it on. Immediately, a difference was felt on his frigid nose and cheeks, and Zuko’s shoulder’s sagged in relief at how the biting breeze stopped hitting his face. The white mask that he had on before was much too thin.

The sun, raised just a little above the horizon, made the jagged ice glitter with the pink morning hue of a sunrise.

With a huff, Zuko accepted its inviting nature and began to walk towards it.

* * *

Midday hit, and the sun actually seemed to give some warmth now, despite cold coming from all other angles. 

Zuko hadn’t stopped walking, only reaching a few places where he had to jump from one icecap to the next. It was almost like jumping across the rock on the beach near the tea shop, except those rocks would cut Zuko’s feet while this ice just made him slip around.

When he turned around, he smirked with satisfaction seeing the wall of the Northern Water Tribe get to be just a speck in his view. Good riddance. 

* * *

The sun began to set, and Zuko stopped his consistent movement, deciding to settle on a particularly wide ice field. He flopped down into the snow, not doubting that he’d fall asleep tonight, even with the potentially dangerous environment. Once he was set, even allowing himself a small fire with little smoke, he nestled into Sokka’s ever-so-soft sleeping bag. 

The taste of dried  _ toran  _ lingered on his tongue as he stared at the stars, which finally placed themselves anew in the sky. 

* * *

_ Zuko stared at the sky as if it could solve all his problems. Today wasn’t necessarily eventful. How could it be, when he was just a stupid tea server?  _

_ The day started off just fine. But then he decided to check out the library. Kyoshi Island had one big public library, close to the school. Zuko wasn’t impressed, of course, he grew up in a palace with a library that might as well have been the size of the island, and during his travels, he had visited plenty more distinguished public libraries.  _

_ Still, he didn’t go to the library to judge it. He realized he hadn’t had time to read since… well since he was a child. As a young prince, he took a lot of interest in works of fiction, much to his father and tutor’s dismay. And now he had… a lot of free time, despite his job and new ‘friends’.  _

_ Zuko was lucky to find a copy of one of his favorite scrolls; ‘The Judgement of Ro and Lo”. It was a story by an anonymous author about two spirits with completely different views on humans; Ro thought they were just toys at his disposal while Lo thought they were to be protected and blessed. They clashed for many years until Ro upset a greater spirit and was sent to be trapped in a human body. In that form, he learned to appreciate humans and even became friends with a few people. Eventually, he was betrayed and murdered by one of his friends. The story ended with Lo gloating over his body, exclaiming that she had tricked him into becoming soft and trusting towards humans.  _

_ At least that’s what Zuko had thought the story was about. The one he found in Kyoshi’s library was written by a man named Pao Lung, and while the story was mostly the same, the ending was very different.  _

_ Ro makes friends in his human body, but when he is murdered by one of them, Lo does not gloat. She laid down with him and cried, her tears reviving him, but only in his human form. He could never be a spirit again. Lo tells him not to fret, turning herself into a human in solidarity. He protests this, saying she doesn’t deserve to witness the cruelty of man. Lo only cups his face in her hands and tells him, “There will always be cruel men. But you’ve seen the good too. I only wanted you to understand me”. The story became a romance and Ro and Lo fell in love as humans, growing old together. As they faced mortality, they knew they had each other, and eventually, they died hand in hand.  _

_ Zuko at first was upset. Why would anyone change the story from how he’d read it as a child? He did a little more digging, and Pao Lung had many more works, all published before the hundred-year war. Most about forbidden romances and human nature. Irritated, He came to the conclusion that the Fire Nation was the one to change the story. He knew the Fire Nation lied. They lied a lot. They lied about the air nomads, about technology, and they lied about their greatness. But the fact that the Fire Nation ever felt the need to lie about fiction was just the sweetest fucking cherry on top. Stories have always been the one thing Zuko could fall back on, and all of a sudden it was pretty damn likely they were all changed to bring better light to the Fire Nation’s ideals.  _

_ So yeah. Now he was staring at the stars, hoping his glare would make them tell Zuko all their secrets.  _

_ “Hello, Lee.” _

_ Zuko jumped in surprise, turning only to find Suki looking at him with her hands on her hips.  _

_ “How did you get up here?” He demanded.  _

_ She rolled her eyes. “What, did you think you were the only one who could scale walls?” _

_ He blinked. “... What.” _

_ “I saw you scamper up the corner store yesterday. You have some weird talents.” _

_ Zuko grunted, laying back down. He hoped Suki didn’t come here just to annoy him.  _

_ “So… whatcha looking at?”  _

_ “What are you here for?” Zuko asked.  _

_ “I just wanted someone to hang out with,” She sighed, sitting and making herself comfortable on the roof next to the firebender, “Kovah has dinner with her family every day, and it gets lonely, living at the dojo.” _

_ “Doesn’t Haro live there too?” _

_ Suki hummed. “Yeah, but we have different friends, different lives. The dojo isn’t my whole life, you know. I may be a warrior, but-”  _

_ “- But you’re a girl too. I know. But why come here?” _

_ “Because you’re my friend?” _

_ Zuko sighed. “I didn’t think you were going to enforce that.”  _

_ “Enforce? What do you think friendship is, tyranny?” She laughed.  _

_ “I… I’ve never had friends. Sorry.” _

_ Suki gave him an unfamiliar look.  _

_ “What?!”  _

_ “Nothing…” She said, eyebrows knitting together, “That’s just sort of sad.” _

_ He huffed, “It’s not. That’s how it’s always been. I guess the change is just… weird.”  _

_ Suki poked his ribs. “Change is fun though. Now you have friends. Accept it.”  _

_ “You can’t tell me what to do.” _

_ “Hmm, I think I can,” Suki said, mischievous. “Time to roof hop!”  _

_ “Wha- I just said you can’t tell me what to do!” Zuko called out as Suki got up and hopped to the nearest roof.  _

_ “Oh yeah? Then why are you following me?”  _

_ Zuko looked down to find himself standing at the edge of the tea shop’s roof. Groaning, he took a few steps back and jumped after his friend.  _

* * *

Zuko woke up to the eerie sound of wind passing above water. The sun hadn’t yet given the sky much color. His clinking tea set combined with the steam that came from his heavy breathing made the desolate cold even more lonely. The tea became cold fast and Zuko only puffed out a few bouts of flame, hoping to conserve energy while also having functioning fingertips. 

With his white ensemble of clothing and cracking blue mask, he blended quite well with the environment as he continued his trek. 

* * *

The sun would set once again in a couple of hours. The ice became few and far between, Zuko’s leaps almost skimming the water that looked nightmarish to fall in. 

At the point where he was considering finally heading back, something caught his limited peripheral vision. 

_ Gray… snow.  _

Then, black snow. 

Zuko must’ve been more tired than he thought because he hadn’t noticed the clouding smog gathering above his head. 

No…

He’d been up close and personal with this color, with this atmosphere. 

_ Focus, Zuko, where is it coming from… _

Zuko moved eastward, and it wasn’t too soon until he stumbled upon a chain harpooned into a sturdy block of ice. His eyes crept up the metal hull it was attached to.

_ No… _

He scrambled to hide behind the ice he and the chain clung to.    
_ What in Agni’s name was Zhao doing at the North Pole?! Even if he was pursuing the Avatar, no idiot would go this far! _

_ … You might’ve,  _ his brain unhelpfully supplied. 

Zuko told himself to shut up and think. Zhao might’ve had a lychee nut for a brain but he wasn’t one for fruitless efforts. He had to be here for something other than the Avatar because if he actually thought this through, he would’ve waited in an environment where his men and himself would have the advantage. Zuko just had to figure out  _ what he wanted.  _

_ … I’m about to do something so stupid…  _

Like a koala-sloth, Zuko grasped onto the cold chain. His knuckles turned more white the farther he climbed. Latching himself onto the side of the ship, he paused, thinking of a good entry point. 

The armory. It was rarely occupied and usually placed on the outskirts of the ship layout. It was also below deck and full of brand-new ready to use disguises. 

_ I wonder what Sokka’s doing right now,  _ Zuko thought, trying his hardest to pry open the frosty circular window that led to the armory,  _ kissing that princess?  _

Zuko had his fair share of experience with princesses, but he was sure Princess Yue was much nicer than his sister. He wondered for a moment if Azula had met anyone she was interested in while he’d been gone. She was a teenager by now, and that was something teenagers seemed to be interested in. Romance. But Zuko doubted Azula would pursue anything as stupid as that. When they were children and she caught Zuko rarely reading romantic scrolls, she’d scoff and say, “Romance is only for people who are lonely, and dumb.”

_ ‘Eloquent’ words, sure, but she wasn’t necessarily wrong _ , Zuko mused, a rare smirk gracing his face as he thought of his cynical kid sister. 

The window creaked open and Zuko relinquished in the warm air released. Without much thought of consequence, he crawled inside. 

No one but his metallic footsteps filled the armory. Zuko looked around frantically and found a small empty cubby that was hidden from most lines of sight and stuffed his bag and possessions in. Now he just had to find someone’s uniform that would fit him. 

Once he selected his (unfortunately smelly) stolen armor and uniform, he struggled to put it on.

_ This was a lot easier back on the Wani… although everything is easier when you have people to do it for you,  _ Zuko thought, wincing as the thin metal clanged against itself. 

Miraculously, even though footsteps passed by the hall every so often, Zuko finished dressing and slid the familiar skull-crested helmet over his face. He didn’t remember armor being this awkward and uncomfortable, but he could work with it. 

The moment he stuck his head out of the door, a soldier approached him. 

“What are you doing in there?! Admiral announced a briefing, move your ass!”

Zuko just nodded, unable to find his voice. This was just a little  _ too  _ lucky, especially for him. It was like the plan was just being  _ given  _ to him! 

He followed the soldier, who walked with his chest held high. Zuko tried his best to mimic him. 

They made it to a conference room, one that Zuko’s ship didn’t have. It wasn’t very big, and Admiral Zhao stood in the middle where a mapped table was placed. 

An instinct within Zuko told him to fight Zhao right then and there, but the small, smart part of him told him to just listen. Listen, and take whatever information he had back to his friends. In and out. 

“Our troops must be prepared for the first strike in two days' time,” Zhao barked, “This ice is difficult, but not impossible to navigate through. Our… scouting vessel is currently forging a path towards the North, which will soon be ours. Lieutenant, tell me, what is your division’s objective?”

A soldier with the identical white-skull plating as everybody else spoke, “To bring you to the moon spirit, sir.”

_ To the… to the what?! _

“Yes… those water tribe brutes will have their power taken from right under their nose. Then, the last of the waterbenders will fade from existence, where my name will take their place in history.”

_ Their power… the moon spirit must be the source of waterbender’s power like Agni is to mine. But… it’s a spirit. You can’t capture a spirit… _

Zhao cackled, low and grating, “Can you believe… that the oh-so-powerful moon spirit takes form as something as weak and helpless as a fish?! Just goes to show how the Water Tribe will squirm under the Fire Nation’s power- they’ll wriggle like flopping fish and be served on a golden platter.”

Laughter that Zuko couldn’t convince himself was fake echoed around the room. 

_ Zhao… thinks the moon spirit possesses the form a fish… and he wants to kill it? To end waterbenders? To be set into Fire Nation history books? _

_ The only thing he’d be known for,  _ Zuko thought, his mouth twisting into a sneer,  _ is taking away an entity that has sat in the sky for eons! Not to mention, the moon pulled at the tides… which meant that without the moon the many of the Fire Nation’s islands could very well become submerged… the whole world would be off-balance!  _

Zuko’s shaking shoulders and fists froze when Zhao pointed to  _ him.  _

“You! The short one! What division are you in?” 

Panicked, Zuko coughed and deepened his voice slightly. “U-um, east… ern, division, sir!”

_ Please be directional divisions, Please be directional divisions, Please be directional divisions, Please be directional divisions- _

Zhao hummed. “Oh? What’s your name soldier?” 

Zuko resisted the urge to sipe his sweaty hands on his pants. “L-Lee. My name is Lee.” 

The Admiral openly groaned. “Another Li,” He scoffed, “Well, Li, what’s your objective?”

“... Why, to take down any Water Tribe persons who get in your way, sir.”

The room stood quiet, before erupting in cheers. 

Zuko was going to puke. 

* * *

He crashed into the snow desperately, checking for the fifth time that his spirit mask was secure. 

Zuko’s panting created large puffs of steam from his mouth, almost obscuring his vision. Only one thing raced through his mind. 

_ I have to warn them.  _

His foot dipped into strikingly cold water as he sprinted across the ice as fast as he could. 

_ I have to warn them.  _

The sun was set, and he kept tripping over his own feet in the darkness. Zuko wasn’t about to stop, but he finally took a moment to look over his shoulder. Zhao’s ship was far enough away that he couldn’t see it. 

Something moved from the corner of his eye, and Zuko almost slowed down to turn more. 

_ I have to keep moving! _

Zuko shook his head and kept running. 

A loud groan and splitting noise made him actually pause. He turned a little further and saw that a ship was wedged between ice. It wasn’t… a fire nation vessel. 

Exhaustion seeped into his bones once he stopped moving. 

_ I have to keep moving!  _

_ I don’t have time for this… _

Zuko turned his back on the boat and continued, blocking out any noise that might distract his thoughts. 

_ I have to warn them.  _

_ I have to keep moving!  _

A ghostly whistle pierced his ears. Zuko whipped around only to find a huge flaming mass flying towards his face. He cried out in surprise and crossed his arms, engulfing himself in fire. 

Zuko flew backward from the impact, the last thing he heard being a deafening boom combined with the sound of the world around him shattering into black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> zuko: *michael scott voice* parkour!
> 
> let's hope our fave firebender is gonna be alright.. not lmao who do u think I am
> 
> anyway kudos and comments belowww love you besties <3

**Author's Note:**

> it's kinning zuko hours. i have daddy issues just like him, so, if you'd like to give me the validation I'm desperate for, go ahead and comment! love yall


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